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Sample records for cellulolytic enzyme activity

  1. Cellulolytic enzyme compositions and uses thereof

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iyer, Prashant; Gaspar, Armindo Ribiero; Croonenberghs, James; Binder, Thomas P.

    2017-07-25

    The present invention relates enzyme composition comprising a cellulolytic preparation and an acetylxylan esterase (AXE); and the used of cellulolytic enzyme compositions for hydrolyzing acetylated cellulosic material. Finally the invention also relates to processes of producing fermentation products from acetylated cellulosic materials using a cellulolytic enzyme composition of the invention.

  2. Production of cellulolytic enzymes from ascomycetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Gustav Hammerich; Lübeck, Mette; Frisvad, Jens Christian

    2015-01-01

    Optimizing production of cellulose degrading enzymes is of great interest in order to increase the feasibility of constructing biorefinery facilities for a sustainable supply of energy and chemical products. The ascomycete phylum has a large potential for the production of cellulolytic enzymes....... Although numerous enzymatic profiles have already been unraveled, the research has been covering only a limited number of species and genera, thus leaving many ascomycetes to be analyzed. Such analysis requires choosing appropriate media and cultivation methods that ensure enzyme profiles with high...... specificities and activities. However, the choice of media, cultivation methods and enzyme assays highly affect the enzyme activity profile observed. This review provides an overview of enzymatic profiles for several ascomycetes covering phylogenetically distinct genera and species. The profiles of cellulose...

  3. Compositions for enhancing hydroysis of cellulosic material by cellulolytic enzyme compositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinlan, Jason; Xu, Feng; Sweeney, Matthew; Johansen, Katja Salomon

    2014-09-30

    The present invention relates to compositions comprising a GH61 polypeptide having cellulolytic enhancing activity and an organic compound comprising a carboxylic acid moiety, a lactone moiety, a phenolic moiety, a flavonoid moiety, or a combination thereof, wherein the combination of the GH61 polypeptide having cellulolytic enhancing activity and the organic compound enhances hydrolysis of a cellulosic material by a cellulolytic enzyme compared to the GH61 polypeptide alone or the organic compound alone. The present invention also relates to methods of using the compositions.

  4. Screening genus Penicillium for producers of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogh, Kristian Bertel Rømer; Mørkeberg, Astrid; Frisvad, Jens Christian

    2004-01-01

    For enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material, cellulolytic enzymes from Trichoderma reesei are most commenly used, but, there is a need for more efficient enzyme cocktails. In this study, the production of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes was investigated in 12 filamentous fungi from ...

  5. Bioprospecting of Thermostable Cellulolytic Enzymes through Modeling and Virtual Screening Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Navanietha Krishnaraj

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Cellulolytic enzymes are promising candidates for the use of cellulose in any bioprocess operations and for the disposal of the cellulosic wastes in an environmentally benign manner. Cellulases from thermophiles have the advantage of hydrolyzing cellulose at wider range of operating conditions unlike the normal enzymes. Herein we report the modeled structures of cellulolytic enzymes (endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and ß-glucosidase from a thermophilic bacterium,Clostridium thermocellumand their validation using Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD and Ramachandran plot analyses. Further, the molecular interactions of the modeled enzyme with cellulose were analyzed using molecular docking technique. The results of molecular docking showed that the endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and ß-glucosidase had the binding affinities of -10.7, -9.0 and -10.8 kcal/mol, respectively. A correlation between the binding affinity of the endoglucanase with cellulose and the enzyme activity was also demonstrated. The results showed that the binding affinities of cellulases with cellulose could be used as a tool to assess the hydrolytic activity of cellulases. The results obtained could be used in virtual screening of cellulolytic enzymes based on the molecular interactions with the substrate, and aid in developing systems biology models of thermophiles for industrial biotechnology applications.

  6. Production of cellulolytic enzymes by fungal cultures. [Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Chaetomium, Stachybotrys, and Hypocrea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pyc, R; Fiechter, A. Galas, E.

    1977-01-01

    Twelve fungal cultures belonging to the genera of Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Chaetomium, Stachybotrys, and Hypocrea were screened for the production of cellulolytic activity. All twelve were found to degrade xylan, avicel, and carboxymethylcellulose. More cellulolytic activity was obtained with shaken cultures than with still cultures and the addition of citrate-phosphate buffer to the media greatly depressed the levels of cellulolytic activity. Varying the composition of the mineral salts in the medium had no effect on the cellulolytic activity. The growth of Aspergillus wentii under controlled conditions in a bioreactor showed that the cellulolytic activity was not affected by the aeration rate or the type of stirrer. The rate of stirring, however, did effect the cellulolytic activity, as at lower stirring speeds considerable wall growth occurred which resulted in low levels of cellulolytic activity. Culture supernatant from Aspergillus wentii was found to hydrolyze from 30-32% of Solka-Floc and from 2-10% of corn cobs, wheat straw, and newsprint. The extensive hydrolysis of Solka-Floc indicates that with suitable treated cellulosic wastes and appropriate enzymes, appreciable amounts of sugars could be obtained.

  7. [Isolation and identification of rumen bacteria for cellulolytic enzyme production].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aihemaiti, Maierhaba; Zhen, Fan; Li, Yuezhong; Aibaidoula, Gulisimayi; Yimit, Wusiman

    2013-05-04

    We screened aerobic bacteria with cellulolytic activity from ruminal fluid of sheep, cattle and camel in Xinjiang. Fresh ruminal fluid was inoculated on sterilized sodium carboxymethylcellulose agar plates. Highly cellulolytic aerobic bacteria were screened out by using Congo red staining and liquid secondary screening culture media. The combination of morphological and biochemical test with 16SrDNA sequence analysis were used to classify the strains. Enzymatic activities of four strains with strong cellulose-decomposing abilities were studied under different culture conditions. Out 84 isolated cellulolytic strains, 40 exhibited strong abilities in decomposing cellulose. They are including 37 Gram-negative isolates and 3 Gram-positive strains. Identification of these 40 strains shows that they belong to 11 species of 6 genera, 16 strains in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, 10 Ochrobactrum, 5 Sphingobacterium, 3 Microbacterium, 3 Paracoccus and 2 Pseudomonas. The results of the enzymatic studies of four strains with strong cellulolytic abilities indicates that the strains have the best enzyme producing property when straw powder was chosen as the carbon source; the pH at 5.5 -6.0 and temperature at 37 degrees C. The strains with highly cellulolytic abilities isolated from ruminal fluid show strong abilities in cellulose decomposition.

  8. Temperature and pH optima of enzyme activities produced by cellulolytic thermophilic fungi in batch and solid-state cultures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grajek, W

    1986-01-01

    The temperature and pH optima of cellulolytic activities produced by thermophilic fungi in liquid and solid-state cultures were established. Some differences in optimal conditions for enzyme activities, which depended on culture methods, were confirmed. 10 references.

  9. Cellulolytic enzymes, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Kevin A [San Diego, CA; Zhao, Lishan [Emeryville, CA; Cayouette, Michelle H [San Diego, CA

    2012-01-24

    The invention provides polypeptides having any cellulolytic activity, e.g., a cellulase activity, a endoglucanase, a cellobiohydrolase, a beta-glucosidase, a xylanase, a mannanse, a .beta.-xylosidase, an arabinofuranosidase, and/or an oligomerase activity, polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides, and methods of making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. In one aspect, the invention is directed to polypeptides having any cellulolytic activity, e.g., a cellulase activity, e.g., endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, beta-glucosidase, xylanase, mannanse, .beta.-xylosidase, arabinofuranosidase, and/or oligomerase activity, including thermostable and thermotolerant activity, and polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, and making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. In one aspect, the invention provides polypeptides having an oligomerase activity, e.g., enzymes that convert recalcitrant soluble oligomers to fermentable sugars in the saccharification of biomass. The polypeptides of the invention can be used in a variety of pharmaceutical, agricultural, food and feed processing and industrial contexts. The invention also provides compositions or products of manufacture comprising mixtures of enzymes comprising at least one enzyme of this invention.

  10. Temporal variations in microbial biomass C and cellulolytic enzyme activity in arable soils: effects of organic matter input

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Debosz, K.; Rasmussen, Peter Have; Pedersen, A. R.

    1999-01-01

    Temporal variations in soil microbial biomass C concentration and in activity of extracellular enzymes of the cellulolytic complex were investigated in a field experiment after eight years of cultivation with either low organic matter input (low-OM) or high organic matter input (high-OM). The cul......Temporal variations in soil microbial biomass C concentration and in activity of extracellular enzymes of the cellulolytic complex were investigated in a field experiment after eight years of cultivation with either low organic matter input (low-OM) or high organic matter input (high......-OM). The cultivation systems differed in whether their source of fertiliser was mainly mineral or organic, in whether a winter cover crop was grown, and whether straw was mulched or removed. Sampling occurred at approximately monthly intervals, over a period of two years. Distinct temporal variations in microbial......) and an endocellulase activity of 44.2 +/- 1.1 nmol g(-1) h(-1). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved....

  11. The significance of cellulolytic enzymes produced by Trichoderma in opportunistic lifestyle of this fungus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strakowska, Judyta; Błaszczyk, Lidia; Chełkowski, Jerzy

    2014-07-01

    The degradation of native cellulose to glucose monomers is a complex process, which requires the synergistic action of the extracellular enzymes produced by cellulolytic microorganisms. Among fungi, the enzymatic systems that can degrade native cellulose have been extensively studied for species belonging to the genera of Trichoderma. The majority of the cellulolytic enzymes described so far have been examples of Trichoderma reesei, extremely specialized in the efficient degradation of plant cell wall cellulose. Other Trichoderma species, such as T. harzianum, T. koningii, T. longibrachiatum, and T. viride, known for their capacity to produce cellulolytic enzymes, have been isolated from various ecological niches, where they have proved successful in various heterotrophic interactions. As saprotrophs, these species are considered to make a contribution to the degradation of lignocellulosic plant material. Their cellulolytic potential is also used in interactions with plants, especially in plant root colonization. However, the role of cellulolytic enzymes in species forming endophytic associations with plants or in those existing in the substratum for mushroom cultivation remains unknown. The present review discusses the current state of knowledge about cellulolytic enzymes production by Trichoderma species and the encoding genes, as well as the involvement of these proteins in the lifestyle of Trichoderma. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. EXTRACELLULAR CELLULOLYTIC COMPLEXES PRODUCTION BY MICROSCOPIC FUNGI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. O. Syrchin

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to screen and to study the effect of inducers on the synthesis of the cellulolytic enzyme complexes by microscopic fungi. Cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities were determined by reducing sugar with DNS reagent, and β-glucosidase activity by pNPG hydrolysis. The enzyme preparations were obtained by ammonium sulphate precipitation. Among 32 studied strains of microscopic fungi 14 produced cellulo- and xylanolytic enzyme complexes. Fusarium sp. 5 and Fennellia sp. 2806 demonstrated the highest levels of all studied enzyme activities. Enzyme preparations with high endo-, exoglucanase, xylanase and β-glucosidase activities were obtained from these strains. Fusarium sp. 5 and Fennellia sp. 2806 were active producers of cellulase enzyme complexes during growth on natural substrates. It was shown that inductors of cellulolytic enzymes in Fusarium sp. 5 and Fennellia sp. 2806 differed from the ones in Trichoderma reesei.

  13. Biosynthesis of cellulolytic enzymes by Tricothecium roseum with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-11-05

    Nov 5, 2008 ... good inducer for extracellular cellulolytic enzyme production by the fungus. Key words: Tricothecium ... feasible for the conversion of cellulose into fermentable sugars and fuel ... Biomass of the culture was dried at 70°C in an ...

  14. Comparative study of cellulolytic activity of three rumen fungi on different substrates

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    Atanasova-Pančevska Natalija

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Anaerobic chytridiomycete fungi are found in the gastrointestinal tracts of many domesticated ruminant and nonruminant herbivores and of a wide variety of wild herbivorous mammals. They produce high levels of cellulases and hemicellulases; these enzymes are regulated by substrate (especially soluble sugars available to the organisms. The aim of this paper was to do a comparative study of cellulolytic activity of three rumen fungi on carboxymethyl cellulose and Avicel. The capacity of enzymes was determined by monitoring the growth on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC and Avicel. Enzyme activity was detected extracellularly in culture supernatants after vegetative growth. All of the isolates degraded CMC and avicel, and exhibited cellulolytic activities (carboxymethyl cellulose-(CMC-ase and avicelase.

  15. Production and assay of cellulolytic enzyme activity of Enterobacter cloacae WPL 214 isolated from bovine rumen fluid waste of Surabaya abbatoir, Indonesia

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    W. P. Lokapirnasari

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim: This study aims to produce and assay cellulolytic enzyme activity (endo-(1,4-β-D-glucanase, exo-(1,4-β-Dglucanase, and β-glucosidase, at optimum temperature and optimum pH of Enterobacter cloacae WPL 214 isolated from bovine rumen fluid waste of Surabaya Abbatoir, Indonesia. Materials and Methods: To produce enzyme from a single colony of E. cloacae WPL 214, 98 × 1010 CFU/ml of isolates was put into 20 ml of liquid medium and incubated in a shaker incubator for 16 h at 35°C in accordance with growth time and optimum temperature of E. cloacae WPL 214. Further on, culture was centrifuged at 6000 rpm at 4°C for 15 min. Pellet was discarded while supernatant containing cellulose enzyme activity was withdrawn to assay endo-(1,4-β-D-glucanase, exo-(1,4-β-D-glucanase, and β-glucosidase. Results: Cellulase enzyme of E. cloacae WPL 214 isolates had endoglucanase activity of 0.09 U/ml, exoglucanase of 0.13 U/ml, and cellobiase of 0.10 U/ml at optimum temperature 35°C and optimum pH 5. Conclusion: E. cloacae WPL 214 isolated from bovine rumen fluid waste produced cellulose enzyme with activity as cellulolytic enzyme of endo-(1,4-β-D-glucanase, exo-(1,4-β-D-glucanase and β-glucosidase.

  16. Anaerobic gut fungi: Advances in isolation, culture, and cellulolytic enzyme discovery for biofuel production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haitjema, Charles H; Solomon, Kevin V; Henske, John K; Theodorou, Michael K; O'Malley, Michelle A

    2014-08-01

    Anaerobic gut fungi are an early branching family of fungi that are commonly found in the digestive tract of ruminants and monogastric herbivores. It is becoming increasingly clear that they are the primary colonizers of ingested plant biomass, and that they significantly contribute to the decomposition of plant biomass into fermentable sugars. As such, anaerobic fungi harbor a rich reservoir of undiscovered cellulolytic enzymes and enzyme complexes that can potentially transform the conversion of lignocellulose into bioenergy products. Despite their unique evolutionary history and cellulolytic activity, few species have been isolated and studied in great detail. As a result, their life cycle, cellular physiology, genetics, and cellulolytic metabolism remain poorly understood compared to aerobic fungi. To help address this limitation, this review briefly summarizes the current body of knowledge pertaining to anaerobic fungal biology, and describes progress made in the isolation, cultivation, molecular characterization, and long-term preservation of these microbes. We also discuss recent cellulase- and cellulosome-discovery efforts from gut fungi, and how these interesting, non-model microbes could be further adapted for biotechnology applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities of common indoor fungi

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Birgitte; Poulsen, Rehab; Hansen, Gustav Hammerich

    2016-01-01

    Moldy building materials, such as chip wood and gypsum, should be a good source for fungal strains with high production of lignocellulolytic enzymes. Screening of 21 common indoor fungal strains showed, contrary to the expected, that the Chaetomium and Stachybotrys strains had little...... or no cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities using AZCL-assays. On the other hand, both Cladosporium sphaerospermum and Penicillium chrysogenum showed the highest cellulase, β-glucosidase, mannase, β-galactanase and arabinanase activities and would be good candidates for over-producers of enzymes needed...

  18. Interactions between Cellulolytic Enzymes with Native, Autohydrolysis, and Technical Lignins and the Effect of a Polysorbate Amphiphile in Reducing Nonproductive Binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritz, Consuelo; Ferrer, Ana; Salas, Carlos; Jameel, Hasan; Rojas, Orlando J

    2015-12-14

    Understanding enzyme-substrate interactions is critical in designing strategies for bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study we monitored molecular events, in situ and in real time, including the adsorption and desorption of cellulolytic enzymes on lignins and cellulose, by using quartz crystal microgravimetry and surface plasmon resonance. The effect of a nonionic surface active molecule was also elucidated. Three lignin substrates relevant to the sugar platform in biorefinery efforts were considered, namely, hardwood autohydrolysis cellulolytic (HWAH), hardwood native cellulolytic (MPCEL), and nonwood native cellulolytic (WSCEL) lignin. In addition, Kraft lignins derived from softwoods (SWK) and hardwoods (HWK) were used as references. The results indicated a high affinity between the lignins with both, monocomponent and multicomponent enzymes. More importantly, the addition of nonionic surfactants at concentrations above their critical micelle concentration reduced remarkably (by over 90%) the nonproductive interactions between the cellulolytic enzymes and the lignins. This effect was hypothesized to be a consequence of the balance of hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Moreover, the reduction of surface roughness and increased wettability of lignin surfaces upon surfactant treatment contributed to a lower affinity with the enzymes. Conformational changes of cellulases were observed upon their adsorption on lignin carrying preadsorbed surfactant. Weak electrostatic interactions were determined in aqueous media at pH between 4.8 and 5.5 for the native cellulolytic lignins (MPCEL and WSCEL), whereby a ∼20% reduction in the enzyme affinity was observed. This was mainly explained by electrostatic interactions (osmotic pressure effects) between charged lignins and cellulases. Noteworthy, adsorption of nonionic surfactants onto cellulose, in the form cellulose nanofibrils, did not affect its hydrolytic conversion. Overall, our results

  19. Activity-based protein profiling of secreted cellulolytic enzyme activity dynamics in Trichoderma reesei QM6a, NG14, and RUT-C30

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Lindsey N.; Culley, David E.; Hofstad, Beth A.; Chauvigne-Hines, Lacie M.; Zink, Erika M.; Purvine, Samuel O.; Smith, Richard D.; Callister, Stephen J.; Magnuson, Jon M.; Wright, Aaron T.

    2013-12-01

    Development of alternative, non-petroleum based sources of bioenergy that can be applied in the short-term find great promise in the use of highly abundant and renewable lignocellulosic plant biomass.1 This material obtained from different feedstocks, such as forest litter or agricultural residues, can yield liquid fuels and other chemical products through biorefinery processes.2 Biofuels are obtained from lignocellulosic materials by chemical pretreatment of the biomass, followed by enzymatic decomposition of cellulosic and hemicellulosic compounds into soluble sugars that are converted to desired chemical products via microbial metabolism and fermentation.3, 4 To release soluble sugars from polymeric cellulose multiple enzymes are required, including endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and β-glucosidase.5, 6 However, the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose into soluble sugars remains a significant limiting factor to the efficient and economically viable utilization of lignocellulosic biomass for transport fuels.7, 8 The primary industrial source of cellulose and hemicellulases is the mesophilic soft-rot fungus Trichoderma reesei,9 having widespread applications in food, feed, textile, pulp, and paper industries.10 The genome encodes 200 glycoside hydrolases, including 10 cellulolytic and 16 hemicellulolytic enzymes.11 The hypercellulolytic catabolite derepressed strain RUT-C30 was obtained through a three-step UV and chemical mutagenesis of the original T. reesei strain QM6a,12, 13 in which strains M7 and NG14 were intermediate, having higher cellulolytic activity than the parent strain but less activity and higher catabolite repression than RUT-C30.14 Numerous methods have been employed to optimize the secreted enzyme cocktail of T. reesei including cultivation conditions, operational parameters, and mutagenesis.3 However, creating an optimal and economical enzyme mixture for production-scale biofuels synthesis may take thousands of experiments to identify.

  20. Cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes from thermophilic Aspergillus terreus RWY.

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    Sharma, Reetika; Kocher, Gurvinder Singh; Bhogal, Ravinder Singh; Oberoi, Harinder Singh

    2014-12-01

    Thermophilic Aspergillus terreus RWY produced cellulases and xylanases in optimal concentrations at 45 °C in solid state fermentation process, though enzyme production was also observed at 50 and 55 °C. Filter paper cellulase (FP), endoglucanase (EG), β-glucosidase (BGL), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), xylanase, β-xylosidase, α-L-arabinofuranosidase and xylan esterase activities for A. terreus RWY at 45 °C in 72 h were 11.3 ± 0.65, 103 ± 6.4, 122.5 ± 8.7, 10.3 ± 0.66, 872 ± 22.5, 22.1 ± 0.75, 126.4 ± 8.4 and 907 ± 15.5 U (g-ds)(-1) , respectively. Enzyme was optimally active at temperatures and pH ranging between 50-60 °C and 4.0-6.0, respectively. The half life (T1/2 ) of 270 and 240 min at 70 and 75 °C, respectively for the enzyme indicates its stability at higher temperatures. The addition of MnCl2 , CoCl2 , and FeCl3 significantly enhanced cellulase activity. Enzyme demonstrated multiplicity by having seven, one and three isoform(s) for EG, CBH and BGL, respectively. Significant production of functionally active consortium of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes from A. terreus RWY makes it a potential candidate in bioprocessing applications. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Thermostable amylolytic enzymes from a cellulolytic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila D14 (ATCC 48 104)

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    Sadhukhan, R K; Manna, S; Roy, S K; Chakrabarty, S L [Bose Research Inst., Calcutta (India). Dept. of Microbiology

    1990-09-01

    The production of amylolytic enzymes by a thermophilic cellulolytic fungus, Myceliophthora thermophila D14 was investigated by batch cultivation in Czapek-Dox medium at 45deg C. Among various nitrogenous compounds used, NaNO{sub 3} and KNO{sub 3} were found to be the best for amylase production. Starch, cellobiose and maltose induced the synthesis of amylase while glucose, fructose, galactose, lactose, arabinose, xylose, sorbitol, mesoinositol and sucrose did not. Calcium ions had the most stimulating effect on enzyme formation amongst many ions investigated. The synthesis of amylolytic enzymes was dependent on growth and occurred predominantly in the mid-stationary phase. The enzyme was active in a broad temperature range (50deg C-60deg C) and displayed activity optima at 60deg C and pH 5.6. (orig.).

  2. Screening Cellulolytic Bacteria from the Digestive Tract Snail (Achatina fulica and Test the Ability of Cellulase Activity

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    Wijanarka Wijanarka

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available On the research of enzyme production levels observed cellulase produced by bacteria in the digestive tract of the isolation of the Snail (Achatina fulica. Isolation of bacteria based on the ability of bacteria to grow on CMC media. The purpose of this study was to determine cellulase activity by cellulolytic bacteria. Some bacterial isolates were identified as cellulolytic bacteria, they were KE-B1, KE-B2, KE-B3, KE-B4, KE-B5, and KE-B6. Isolates KE-B6 was the best isolates. Furthermore KE-B6 isolates were grown on media production to determine the pattern of growth and enzyme activity. Measurement of cell growth was conducted by inoculating starter aged 22 hours at CMC production of liquid medium. Cellulase enzyme activity measurements was performed by the DNS method. The results showed that the highest activity by new isolate bacteria KE-B6 and its value of the activity of 0.4539 U/mL, growth rate (µ 0.377/hour and generation time (g 1.84 hour. This research expected cellulase of producing bacteria were easy, inexpensive and efficient. This enzyme can be used as an enzyme biolytic once expected to replace expensive commercial enzyme. The biotylic enzyme can be applied to strains improvement (protoplast fusion.How to CiteWijanarka, W., Kusdiyantini, E. & Parman, S. (2016. Screening Cellulolytic Bacteria from the Digestive Tract Snail (Achatina fulica and Test the Ability of Cellulase Activity. Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education, 8(3, 386-392. 

  3. Formation and release of cellulolytic enzymes during growth of Trichoderma reesei on cellobiose and glycerol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vaheri, M.P.; Vaheri, M.E.O.; Kaupinen, V.S.

    1979-01-01

    Production and release of cellulolytic enzymes by T. reesei QM 9414 were studied under induced and non-induced conditions and glycerol, respectively, as the only C source. There was a base level of cell debris-bound hydrolytic activity against filter paper and p-nitrophenyl glycoside even in T. reesei grown non-induced on glycerol. T. reesei grown on cellobiose was induced to produce large amounts of extracellular filter paper- and CMC-hydrolyzing enzymes, which were actively released even in the early stages of cultivation. Beta-Glucosidase was mainly detected in the cell debris and was not released unless the cells were autolyzing.

  4. Characterization of cellulolytic enzymes and bioH2 production from anaerobic thermophilic Clostridium sp. TCW1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Yung-Chung; Huang, Chi-Yu; Cheng, Chieh-Lun; Lin, Chiu-Yue; Chang, Jo-Shu

    2011-09-01

    A thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Clostridium sp. TCW1 was isolated from dairy cow dung and was used to produce hydrogen from cellulosic feedstock. Extracellular cellulolytic enzymes produced from TCW1 strain were identified as endoglucanases (45, 53 and 70 kDa), exoglucanase (70 kDa), xylanases (53 and 60 kDa), and β-glucosidase (45 kDa). The endoglucanase and xylanase were more abundant. The optimal conditions for H2 production and enzyme production of the TCW1 strain were the same (60 °C, initial pH 7, agitation rate of 200 rpm). Ten cellulosic feedstock, including pure or natural cellulosic materials, were used as feedstock for hydrogen production by Clostridium strain TCW1 under optimal culture conditions. Using filter paper at 5.0 g/L resulted in the most effective hydrogen production performance, achieving a H2 production rate and yield of 57.7 ml/h/L and 2.03 mol H2/mol hexose, respectively. Production of cellulolytic enzyme activities was positively correlated with the efficiency of dark-H2 fermentation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effects of commercial pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme preparations on the apple cell wall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dongowski, G; Sembries, S

    2001-09-01

    The action of three different commercial enzyme combinations on apple cell wall material has been examined in a model system under conditions of mash and pomace treatment by using an alcohol-insoluble substance prepared from apples. A part of the total dietary fiber, for example, galacturonan (pectin), appeared in the soluble fraction after enzymatic mash treatment. The soluble fraction increased intensely during pomace treatment. Furthermore, enzyme actions caused a change in the water-binding capacity of residues as well as changes in the monosaccharide composition and in the molecular weight distribution of saccharides in filtrates (soluble parts). The extent of decomposition of cell wall material and the increase of soluble oligomeric and/or polymeric dietary fiber components are caused by both the composition (pectinases, cellulases, and hemicellulases) and the activities of the enzyme preparations. The model experiments allow an insight into the reactions occurring during enzyme action on the plant cell wall, for example, during apple juice production using pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme preparations.

  6. Biosynthesis of cellulolytic enzymes by Aspergillus niger A. n. 33 and its selectants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Czajkowska, D.; Hornecka, D.; Ilnicka-Olejniczak, O.

    1988-01-01

    The aim of the investigations was to obtain - from the parent strain Aspergillus niger A.n. 33 - selectants with an increased ability of cellulolytic enzymes biosynthesis. Own selection methods allowed to receive two selectants A.n. 33/2 and A.n. 33/20 characterized by enhanced activities of saccharifying cellulase (respectively 0.11 and 0.14 FPU/cm/sup 3/), endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (15.4 and 21.8 U/cm/sup 3/) and cellobiase (0.6 and 1.4 IU/cm/sup 3/) as compared with the parent strain (FPA - 0.09 IU, CMC - 8.2 U and CB - 0.1 IU/cm/sup 3/). Moreover, the selectants differed in shape and size of conidial heads, in shape and colour of conidia, as well as in structure and shape of hyphase. Enzyme preparations obtained after ultrafiltration of liquid cultures were characterized by following activities: FPA-4-16 IU, CMC-900-1800 U, CB-60-120 IU and xylanase-250-280 IU/cm/sup 3/.

  7. Cellulolytic enzyme expression and simultaneous conversion of lignocellulosic sugars into ethanol and xylitol by a new Candida tropicalis strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattam, Anu Jose; Kuila, Arindam; Suralikerimath, Niranjan; Choudary, Nettem; Rao, Peddy V C; Velankar, Harshad Ravindra

    2016-01-01

    Lignocellulosic ethanol production involves major steps such as thermochemical pretreatment of biomass, enzymatic hydrolysis of pre-treated biomass and the fermentation of released sugars into ethanol. At least two different organisms are conventionally utilized for producing cellulolytic enzymes and for ethanol production through fermentation, whereas in the present study a single yeast isolate with the capacity to simultaneously produce cellulases and xylanases and ferment the released sugars into ethanol and xylitol has been described. A yeast strain isolated from soil samples and identified as Candida tropicalis MTCC 25057 expressed cellulases and xylanases over a wide range of temperatures (32 and 42 °C) and in the presence of different cellulosic substrates [carboxymethylcellulose and wheat straw (WS)]. The studies indicated that the cultivation of yeast at 42 °C in pre-treated hydrolysate containing 0.5 % WS resulted in proportional expression of cellulases (exoglucanases and endoglucanases) at concentrations of 114.1 and 97.8 U g(-1) ds, respectively. A high xylanase activity (689.3 U g(-1) ds) was also exhibited by the yeast under similar growth conditions. Maximum expression of cellulolytic enzymes by the yeast occurred within 24 h of incubation. Of the sugars released from biomass after pretreatment, 49 g L(-1) xylose was aerobically converted into 15.8 g L(-1) of xylitol. In addition, 25.4 g L(-1) glucose released after the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass was fermented by the same yeast to obtain an ethanol titer of 7.3 g L(-1). During the present study, a new strain of C. tropicalis was isolated and found to have potential for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) applications. The strain could grow in a wide range of process conditions (temperature, pH) and in the presence of lignocellulosic inhibitors such as furfural, HMF and acetic acid. The new yeast produced cellulolytic enzymes over a wide temperature range and in the presence of

  8. Cellulolytic Enzymes Production via Solid-State Fermentation: Effect of Pretreatment Methods on Physicochemical Characteristics of Substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brijwani, Khushal; Vadlani, Praveen V

    2011-01-01

    We investigated the effect of pretreatment on the physicochemical characteristics-crystallinity, bed porosity, and volumetric specific surface of soybean hulls and production of cellulolytic enzymes in solid-state fermentation of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus oryzae cultures. Mild acid and alkali and steam pretreatments significantly increased crystallinity and bed porosity without significant change inholocellulosic composition of substrate. Crystalline and porous steam-pretreated soybean hulls inoculated with T. reesei culture had 4 filter paper units (FPU)/g-ds, 0.6 IU/g-ds β-glucosidase, and 45 IU/g-ds endocellulase, whereas untreated hulls had 0.75 FPU/g-ds, 0.06 IU/g-ds β-glucosidase, and 7.29 IU/g-ds endocellulase enzyme activities. In A. oryzae steam-pretreated soybean hulls had 47.10 IU/g-ds endocellulase compared to 30.82 IU/g-ds in untreated soybean hulls. Generalized linear statistical model fitted to enzyme activity data showed that effects of physicochemical characteristics on enzymes production were both culture and enzyme specific. The paper shows a correlation between substrate physicochemical properties and enzyme production.

  9. Evaluation of Myceliopthora thermophila as an Enzyme Factory for the Production of Thermophilic Cellulolytic Enzymes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonidas Matsakas

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Enzymatic hydrolysis is a key step in bioethanol production. Efficient hydrolysis requires a consortium of different enzymes that are able to hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugars. Myceliopthora thermophila is a promising candidate for the production of thermophilic cellulolytic enzymes, the use of which could reduce the cost of ethanol production. The growth conditions of the fungus were optimized in order to achieve increased secretion of extracellular cellulases. Optimal conditions were found to be 7.0% w/v brewer’s spent grain as the carbon source and 0.4% w/v ammonium sulfate as the nitrogen source. The cellulases obtained were characterized for their optimum activity. The optimum temperature and pH for cellulase activity are 65 °C and pH 5.5, respectively. Studies on thermal inactivation of the crude extract showed that the cellulases of M. thermophila are stable for temperatures up to 60 °C. At this temperature the half-life was found to be as high as 27 h. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose resulted in 31.4% hydrolysis yield at 60 °C after 24 h of incubation. Finally, the recalcitrance constant for cellulose and cellulose pretreated with ionic liquids was calculated to be 5.46 and 2.69, respectively.

  10. NREL Explains the Higher Cellulolytic Activity of a Vital Microorganism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-06-01

    The discovery of a new mode of action by C. thermocellum to convert biomass to biofuels is significant because the bacterium is already recognized as one of the most effective in the biosphere. Researchers found that, in addition to using common cellulase degradation mechanisms attached to cells, C. thermocellum also uses a new category of cell-free scaffolded enzymes. The new discovery will influence the strategies used to improve the cellulolytic activity of biomass degrading microbes going forward. Better understanding of this bacterium could lead to cheaper production of ethanol and drop-in fuels. Also, this discovery demonstrates that nature's biomass conversion behaviors are not fully understood and remain as opportunities for future microbial/enzyme engineering efforts.

  11. Cellulolytic Enzymes Production via Solid-State Fermentation: Effect of Pretreatment Methods on Physicochemical Characteristics of Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khushal Brijwani

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the effect of pretreatment on the physicochemical characteristics—crystallinity, bed porosity, and volumetric specific surface of soybean hulls and production of cellulolytic enzymes in solid-state fermentation of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus oryzae cultures. Mild acid and alkali and steam pretreatments significantly increased crystallinity and bed porosity without significant change inholocellulosic composition of substrate. Crystalline and porous steam-pretreated soybean hulls inoculated with T. reesei culture had 4 filter paper units (FPU/g-ds, 0.6 IU/g-ds β-glucosidase, and 45 IU/g-ds endocellulase, whereas untreated hulls had 0.75 FPU/g-ds, 0.06 IU/g-ds β-glucosidase, and 7.29 IU/g-ds endocellulase enzyme activities. In A. oryzae steam-pretreated soybean hulls had 47.10 IU/g-ds endocellulase compared to 30.82 IU/g-ds in untreated soybean hulls. Generalized linear statistical model fitted to enzyme activity data showed that effects of physicochemical characteristics on enzymes production were both culture and enzyme specific. The paper shows a correlation between substrate physicochemical properties and enzyme production.

  12. Isolation of microbial native Stumps with cellulolytic activity of a compost process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaramillo G, Marisol; Ruiz V Orlando Simon; Yepes P, Maria del Socorro; Montoya C, Olga Ines

    2003-01-01

    The isolation, selection adaptation and handling of native microorganisms coming from organic waste are an alternative to avoid the accumulation and the lack of the proper use of these undesirable materials. This organic waste is a source for obtaining microbial strains, which are potentially producers of Industrial enzymes and, at the same time, it works as substrate so that these organisms can transform it into compost or organic manure. In this work, 39 native strains of microorganisms with potential cellulolytic activity coming from the organic waste of the urban and rural sector, from the Compost Plant of Marinilla Antioquia) municipality, were isolated, evaluated and purified. The waste was previously selected and then submitted to an aerobic degradation or compost. The microbial strains were isolated in a selective medium with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), of the phases mesophile, termophile, cooling and maturation of the compost process. Eighty-two percent (82%)of the obtained colonies were identified, in principle as Bacillus, because of their morphology and their reaction to the Gram coloration. The fungi population was seen only during the cooling phase. Then, the potential cellulolytic activity was evaluated qualitatively in a solid medium with the Congo Red coloration, with which the Beta-endoglucanase activity was evaluated through the formation of clarified zones. Such staining was applied in two mediums with CMC with and without glucose It was observed that 33.3% of the isolated organisms produced the enzyme In both mediums; however, 25.6% of microorganisms did not show the production of this enzyme, and only 15.8% did not require the inducers to produce it

  13. Evolution of High Cellulolytic Activity in Symbiotic Streptomyces through Selection of Expanded Gene Content and Coordinated Gene Expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Bradon R.; Takasuka, Taichi E.; Wendt-Pienkowski, Evelyn; Doering, Drew T.; Raffa, Kenneth F.; Fox, Brian G.; Currie, Cameron R.

    2016-01-01

    The evolution of cellulose degradation was a defining event in the history of life. Without efficient decomposition and recycling, dead plant biomass would quickly accumulate and become inaccessible to terrestrial food webs and the global carbon cycle. On land, the primary drivers of plant biomass deconstruction are fungi and bacteria in the soil or associated with herbivorous eukaryotes. While the ecological importance of plant-decomposing microbes is well established, little is known about the distribution or evolution of cellulolytic activity in any bacterial genus. Here we show that in Streptomyces, a genus of Actinobacteria abundant in soil and symbiotic niches, the ability to rapidly degrade cellulose is largely restricted to two clades of host-associated strains and is not a conserved characteristic of the Streptomyces genus or host-associated strains. Our comparative genomics identify that while plant biomass degrading genes (CAZy) are widespread in Streptomyces, key enzyme families are enriched in highly cellulolytic strains. Transcriptomic analyses demonstrate that cellulolytic strains express a suite of multi-domain CAZy enzymes that are coregulated by the CebR transcriptional regulator. Using targeted gene deletions, we verify the importance of a highly expressed cellulase (GH6 family cellobiohydrolase) and the CebR transcriptional repressor to the cellulolytic phenotype. Evolutionary analyses identify complex genomic modifications that drive plant biomass deconstruction in Streptomyces, including acquisition and selective retention of CAZy genes and transcriptional regulators. Our results suggest that host-associated niches have selected some symbiotic Streptomyces for increased cellulose degrading activity and that symbiotic bacteria are a rich biochemical and enzymatic resource for biotechnology. PMID:27276034

  14. Enzyme activity of a Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiohydrolase

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of this study was to produce a secreted, heterologously expressed Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiohydrolase (CBHI.1) protein that required no in vitro chemical refolding and to investigate the cellulolytic activity of the clone expressing the glutathione S-transferase (GST) fused CBHI.1 protein. Plate enzyme ...

  15. Cloning and recombinant expression of a cellulase from the cellulolytic strain Streptomyces sp. G12 isolated from compost

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amore Antonella

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of lignocellulosic materials for second generation ethanol production would give several advantages such as minimizing the conflict between land use for food and fuel production, providing less expensive raw materials than conventional agricultural feedstock, allowing lower greenhouse gas emissions than those of first generation ethanol. However, cellulosic biofuels are not produced at a competitive level yet, mainly because of the high production costs of the cellulolytic enzymes. Therefore, this study was aimed at discovering new cellulolytic microorganisms and enzymes. Results Different bacteria isolated from raw composting materials obtained from vegetable processing industry wastes were screened for their cellulolytic activity on solid medium containing carboxymethylcellulose. Four strains belonging to the actinomycetes group were selected on the basis of their phenotypic traits and cellulolytic activity on solid medium containing carboxymethylcellulose. The strain showing the highest cellulolytic activity was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as belonging to Streptomyces genus and it was designated as Streptomyces sp. strain G12. Investigating the enzymes responsible for cellulase activity produced by Streptomyces G12 by proteomic analyses, two endoglucanases were identified. Gene coding for one of these enzymes, named CelStrep, was cloned and sequenced. Molecular analysis showed that the celstrep gene has an open reading frame encoding a protein of 379 amino acid residues, including a signal peptide of 37 amino acid residues. Comparison of deduced aminoacidic sequence to the other cellulases indicated that the enzyme CelStrep can be classified as a family 12 glycoside hydrolase. Heterologous recombinant expression of CelStrep was carried out in Escherichia coli, and the active recombinant enzyme was purified from culture supernatant and characterized. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of carboxymethylcellulose

  16. Cloning and recombinant expression of a cellulase from the cellulolytic strain Streptomyces sp. G12 isolated from compost

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The use of lignocellulosic materials for second generation ethanol production would give several advantages such as minimizing the conflict between land use for food and fuel production, providing less expensive raw materials than conventional agricultural feedstock, allowing lower greenhouse gas emissions than those of first generation ethanol. However, cellulosic biofuels are not produced at a competitive level yet, mainly because of the high production costs of the cellulolytic enzymes. Therefore, this study was aimed at discovering new cellulolytic microorganisms and enzymes. Results Different bacteria isolated from raw composting materials obtained from vegetable processing industry wastes were screened for their cellulolytic activity on solid medium containing carboxymethylcellulose. Four strains belonging to the actinomycetes group were selected on the basis of their phenotypic traits and cellulolytic activity on solid medium containing carboxymethylcellulose. The strain showing the highest cellulolytic activity was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as belonging to Streptomyces genus and it was designated as Streptomyces sp. strain G12. Investigating the enzymes responsible for cellulase activity produced by Streptomyces G12 by proteomic analyses, two endoglucanases were identified. Gene coding for one of these enzymes, named CelStrep, was cloned and sequenced. Molecular analysis showed that the celstrep gene has an open reading frame encoding a protein of 379 amino acid residues, including a signal peptide of 37 amino acid residues. Comparison of deduced aminoacidic sequence to the other cellulases indicated that the enzyme CelStrep can be classified as a family 12 glycoside hydrolase. Heterologous recombinant expression of CelStrep was carried out in Escherichia coli, and the active recombinant enzyme was purified from culture supernatant and characterized. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of carboxymethylcellulose following a Michaelis

  17. Structural insights into cellulolytic and chitinolytic enzymes revealing crucial residues of insect β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian Liu

    Full Text Available The chemical similarity of cellulose and chitin supports the idea that their corresponding hydrolytic enzymes would bind β-1,4-linked glucose residues in a similar manner. A structural and mutational analysis was performed for the plant cellulolytic enzyme BGlu1 from Oryza sativa and the insect chitinolytic enzyme OfHex1 from Ostrinia furnacalis. Although BGlu1 shows little amino-acid sequence or topological similarity with OfHex1, three residues (Trp(490, Glu(328, Val(327 in OfHex1, and Trp(358, Tyr(131 and Ile(179 in BGlu1 were identified as being conserved in the +1 sugar binding site. OfHex1 Glu(328 together with Trp(490 was confirmed to be necessary for substrate binding. The mutant E328A exhibited a 8-fold increment in K(m for (GlcNAc(2 and a 42-fold increment in K(i for TMG-chitotriomycin. A crystal structure of E328A in complex with TMG-chitotriomycin was resolved at 2.5 Å, revealing the obvious conformational changes of the catalytic residues (Glu(368 and Asp(367 and the absence of the hydrogen bond between E328A and the C3-OH of the +1 sugar. V327G exhibited the same activity as the wild-type, but acquired the ability to efficiently hydrolyse β-1,2-linked GlcNAc in contrast to the wild-type. Thus, Glu(328 and Val(327 were identified as important for substrate-binding and as glycosidic-bond determinants. A structure-based sequence alignment confirmed the spatial conservation of these three residues in most plant cellulolytic, insect and bacterial chitinolytic enzymes.

  18. Direct ethanol production from cellulosic materials at high temperature using the thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus displaying cellulolytic enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yanase, Shuhei; Yamada, Ryosuke; Ogino, Chiaki; Kondo, Akihiko [Kobe Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Chemical Science and Engineering; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Fukuda, Hideki [Kobe Univ. (Japan). Organization of Advanced Science and Technology

    2010-09-15

    To exploit cellulosic materials for fuel ethanol production, a microorganism capable of high temperature and simultaneous saccharification-fermentation has been required. However, a major drawback is the optimum temperature for the saccharification and fermentation. Most ethanol-fermenting microbes have an optimum temperature for ethanol fermentation ranging between 28 C and 37 C, while the activity of cellulolytic enzymes is highest at around 50 C and significantly decreases with a decrease in temperature. Therefore, in the present study, a thermotolerant yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus, which has high growth and fermentation at elevated temperatures, was used as a producer of ethanol from cellulose. The strain was genetically engineered to display Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase and Aspergillus aculeatus {beta}-glucosidase on the cell surface, which successfully converts a cellulosic {beta}-glucan to ethanol directly at 48 C with a yield of 4.24 g/l from 10 g/l within 12 h. The yield (in grams of ethanol produced per gram of {beta}-glucan consumed) was 0.47 g/g, which corresponds to 92.2% of the theoretical yield. This indicates that high-temperature cellulose fermentation to ethanol can be efficiently accomplished using a recombinant K. marxianus strain displaying thermostable cellulolytic enzymes on the cell surface. (orig.)

  19. Isolation and characterization of aerobic microorganisms with cellulolytic activity in the gut of endogeic earthworms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujii, Katsuhiko; Ikeda, Kana; Yoshida, Seo

    2012-09-01

    The ability of earthworms to decompose lignocellulose involves the assistance of microorganisms in their digestive system. While many studies have revealed a diverse microbiota in the earthworm gut, including aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, it remains unclear which of these species contribute to lignocellulose digestion. In this study, aerobic microorganisms with cellulolytic activity isolated from the gut of two endogeic earthworms, Amynthas heteropoda (Megascolecidae) and Eisenia fetida (Lumbricidae) were isolated by solid culture of gut homogenates using filter paper as a carbon source. A total of 48 strains, including four bacterial and four fungal genera, were isolated from two earthworm species. Characterization of these strains using enzyme assays showed that the most representative ones had exocellulase and xylanase activities, while some had weak laccase activity. These findings suggest that earthworms digest lignocellulose by exploiting microbial exocellulase and xylanase besides their own endocellulase. Phylogenetic analysis showed that among the cellulolytic isolates in both earthworm species Burkholderia and Chaetomium were the dominant bacterial and fungal members.

  20. Adsorption of cellulase on cellulolytic enzyme lignin from lodgepole pine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tu, Maobing; Pan, Xuejun; Saddler, Jack N

    2009-09-09

    Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials is significantly affected by cellulase adsorption onto the lignocellulosic substrates and lignin. The presence of lignin plays an important role in lignocellulosic hydrolysis and enzyme recycling. Three cellulase preparations (Celluclast, Spezyme CP, and MSUBC) were evaluated to determine their adsorption onto cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) from steam-exploded Lodgepole pine (SELP) and ethanol (organosolv)-pretreated Lodgepole pine (EPLP). The adsorption affinity of cellulase (Celluclast) onto isolated lignin (CEL-EPLP and CEL-SELP) was slightly higher than that from corresponding EPLP and SELP substrates on the basis of the Langmuir constants. Effects of temperature, ionic strength, and surfactant on cellulase adsorption onto isolated lignin were also explored in this study. Thermodynamic analysis of enzyme adsorption onto isolated lignin (Gibbs free energy change DeltaG(0) approximately -30 kJ/mol) indicated this adsorption was a spontaneous process. The addition of surfactant (0.2% w/v) could reduce the adsorption of cellulase onto CEL-SELP by 60%. Two types of adsorption isotherm were compared for cellulase adsorption onto isolated lignin. A Langmuir adsorption isotherm showed better fit for the experimental data than a Freundlich adsorption isotherm.

  1. Characterization of Cellulolytic Bacterial Cultures Grown in Different Substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Idris Alshelmani

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Nine aerobic cellulolytic bacterial cultures were obtained from the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Culture (DSMZ and the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC. The objectives of this study were to characterize the cellulolytic bacteria and to determine the optimum moisture ratio required for solid state fermentation (SSF of palm kernel cake (PKC. The bacteria cultures were grown on reconstituted nutrient broth, incubated at 30∘C and agitated at 200 rpm. Carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase, and mannanase activities were determined using different substrates and after SSF of PKC. The SSF was conducted for 4 and 7 days with inoculum size of 10% (v/w on different PKC concentration-to-moisture ratios: 1 : 0.2, 1 : 0.3, 1 : 0.4, and 1 : 0.5. Results showed that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 1067 DSMZ, Bacillus megaterium 9885 ATCC, Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus 10248 DSMZ, and Paenibacillus polymyxa 842 ATCC produced higher enzyme activities as compared to other bacterial cultures grown on different substrates. The cultures mentioned above also produced higher enzyme activities when they were incubated under SSF using PKC as a substrate in different PKC-to-moisture ratios after 4 days of incubation, indicating that these cellulolytic bacteria can be used to degrade and improve the nutrient quality of PKC.

  2. Cellulolytic potential of thermophilic species from four fungal orders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Busk, Peter Kamp; Lange, Lene

    2013-01-01

    and in characterization of their industrially useful enzymes. In the present study we investigated the cellulolytic potential of 16 thermophilic fungi from the three ascomycete orders Sordariales, Eurotiales and Onygenales and from the zygomycete order Mucorales thus covering all fungal orders that include thermophiles....... Thermophilic fungi are the only described eukaryotes that can grow at temperatures above 45 ºC. All 16 fungi were able to grow on crystalline cellulose but their secreted enzymes showed widely different cellulolytic activities, pH optima and thermostabilities. Interestingly, in contrast to previous reports, we......Elucidation of fungal biomass degradation is important for understanding the turnover of biological materials in nature and has important implications for industrial biomass conversion. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in elucidating the biological role of thermophilic fungi...

  3. Production of cellulolytic enzymes by Aspergillus fumigatus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trivedi, L S; Rao, K K

    1979-01-01

    Production of extracellular cellulase by A. fumigatus was studied in liquid shake culture. The effect of culture conditions such as C and N source and pH on cellulase was examined. Sequential appearance of cellulase components, beta-glucosidase on the 2nd day, followed by endo-beta-glucanase on the 4th day and exobeta-gluconase on the 6th day of growth was observed. Maximum production of all cellulase components was achieved on the 12th day of growth in basal medium containing cellulose as C source and a combination of (NH4)2S04 and NH4H2PO4 as N source. High cellulolytic activities were observed only in the presence of insoluble cellulose as C source, while no significant activities were observed in the presence of simple sugars.

  4. Characterization and Identification of Cellulolytic Bacteria from gut of Worker Macrotermes gilvus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andri Ferbiyanto

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available As a social insect, termite colony consists of three castes, i.e. reproductive, soldier, and worker castes. In their role of cellulose digestion, the worker termites use two sources of cellulolytic enzyme that include cellulases produced by the termite and the gut symbions. Macrotermes gilvus classified in mound builder termite, mostly depend on cellulolytic bacteria for cellulose digestion. This study aims to characterize cellulolytic bacteria of termite gut symbionts of worker M. gilvus and to identify the cellulolytic bacteria based on sequences of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA gene. Cellulolytic bacteria of termite gut were isolated and cultured in CMC (Carboxymethyl cellulose media. The biochemical characters of bacterial isolates were assayed using Microbact 12A and 12B. Cellulolytic activity was determined based on formation of clear zone and cellulolytic index on CMC plate media. The bacterial isolate that has the highest cellulolytic index was analyzed for its 16S rRNA gene sequences. Four isolates of cellulolytic bacteria were successfully isolated from gut of M. gilvus with aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The highest formation of cellulolytic index (2.5 was revealed by RA2. BLAST-N (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool for Nucleotides result of 16S rRNA gene sequences of RU4 and RA2 isolates showed that the isolate has similarity with Bacillus megaterium and Paracoccus yeei, respectively. This result indicated that RA2 isolate was P. yeei, a cellulolytic bacterium of a termite gut of M. gilvus.

  5. Enzymatic activity of the cellulolytic complex produced by trichoderma reesei. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alfonsel Jaen, M.; Negro, M.J.; Saez, R.; Martin Moreno, C.

    1986-01-01

    The enzymatic activity characterization of the cellulolytic complex obtained from Trichoderma reese QM 9414 and the influence of the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the hydrolysis yield are studied. Pure cellulose and native or alkali pretreated biomass from Onopordum nervosum have been used as substrates. The values of pH, temperature, substrate concentration and enzyme-substrate ratio for the optimum activity of that complex, evaluated as glucose and reducing sugars productions, have been selected. Previous studies on enzymatic hydrolysis of O. nervosum have shown a remarkable effect of the alkaline pretreatments on the final hydrolysis yield. (author). 10 figs.; 10 refs

  6. Enzymatic activity of the cellulolytic complex produced by Trichoderma reesei. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alfonsel J, M.; Negro A, M. J.; Saez A, R.; Martin M, C.

    1986-01-01

    The enzymatic activity characterization of the cellulolytic complex obtained from Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 and the influence of the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the hydrolysis yield are studied. Pure cellulose and native or alkali pretreated biomass Onopordum nervosum have been used as substrates. The values of pH, temperature, substrate concentration and enzyme-substrate ratio for the optimum activity of that complex, evaluated as glucose and reducing sugars production, have been selected. Previous studies on enzymatic hydrolysis of 0. nervosum have shown a remarkable effect of the alkaline pretreatments on the final hydrolysis yield. (Author) 10 refs

  7. Selection and molecular characterization of cellulolytic-xylanolytic fungi from surface soil-biomass mixtures from Black Belt sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okeke, Benedict C; Hall, Rosine W; Nanjundaswamy, Ananda; Thomson, M Sue; Deravi, Yasaman; Sawyer, Leah; Prescott, Andrew

    2015-06-01

    Plant biomass is an abundant renewable natural resource that can be transformed into chemical feedstocks. Enzymes used in saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass are a major part of biofuel production costs. A cocktail of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes are required for optimal saccharification of biomass. Accordingly, thirty-two fungal pure cultures were obtained from surface soil-biomass mixtures collected from Black Belt sites in Alabama by culturing on lignocellulosic biomass medium. The fungal strains were screened for the coproduction of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes. Strains that displayed promising levels of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes were characterized by molecular analysis of DNA sequences from the large subunit and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of their ribosomal RNA gene. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that two most promising isolates FS22A and FS5A were most similar to Penicillium janthinellum and Trichoderma virens. Production dynamics of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes from these two strains were explored in submerged fermentation. Volumetric productivity after 120 h incubation was 121.08 units/L/h and 348 units/L/h for the filter paper cellulase and xylanase of strain FS22A, and 90.83 units/L/h and 359 units/L/h, respectively for strain FS5A. Assays with 10 times dilution of enzymes revealed that the activities were much higher than that observed in the crude culture supernatant. Additionally, both FS22A and FS5A also produced amylase in lignocellulose medium. The enzyme profiles of these strains and their activities suggest potential applications in cost effective biomass conversion and biodegradation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. An innovative approach for hyperproduction of cellulolytic and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The present work describes the production of cellulolytic enzymes and hemicellulolytic enzyme (xylanase) along with total extracellular protein by Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride using submerged fermentation. Among seven different kinds of experiments, secretion rate of protein and enzymes was investigated by ...

  9. Mixed submerged fermentation with two filamentous fungi for cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Kirchner, O; Muñoz-Aguilar, M; Pérez-Villalva, R; Huitrón-Vargas, C

    2002-01-01

    The efficient saccharification of lignocellulosic materials requires the cooperative actions of different cellulase enzyme activities: exoglucanase, endoglucanase, beta-glucosidase, and xylanase. Previous studies with the fungi strains Aureobasidium sp. CHTE-18, Penicillium sp. CH-TE-001, and Aspergillus terreus CH-TE-013, selected mainly because of their different cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities, have demonstrated the capacity of culture filtrates of cross-synergistic action in the saccharification of native sugarcane bagasse pith. In an attempt to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of different cellulosic materials, we investigated a coculture fermentation with two of these strains to enhance the production of cellulases and xylanases. The 48-h batch experimental results showed that the mixed culture of Penicillium sp. CH-TE-001 and A. terreus CH-TE-013 produced culture filtrates with high protein content, cellulase (mainly beta-glucosidase), and xylanase activities compared with the individual culture of each strain. The same culture conditions were used in a simple medium with mineral salts, corn syrup liquor, and sugarcane bagasse pith as the sole carbon source with moderate shaking at 29 degrees C. Finally, we compared the effect of the cell-free culture filtrates obtained from the mixed and single fermentations on the saccharification of different kinds of cellulosic materials.

  10. Multifunctional Cellulolytic Enzymes Outperform Processive Fungal Cellulases for Coproduction of Nanocellulose and Biofuels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarbrough, John M; Zhang, Ruoran; Mittal, Ashutosh; Vander Wall, Todd; Bomble, Yannick J; Decker, Stephen R; Himmel, Michael E; Ciesielski, Peter N

    2017-03-28

    Producing fuels, chemicals, and materials from renewable resources to meet societal demands remains an important step in the transition to a sustainable, clean energy economy. The use of cellulolytic enzymes for the production of nanocellulose enables the coproduction of sugars for biofuels production in a format that is largely compatible with the process design employed by modern lignocellulosic (second generation) biorefineries. However, yields of enzymatically produced nanocellulose are typically much lower than those achieved by mineral acid production methods. In this study, we compare the capacity for coproduction of nanocellulose and fermentable sugars using two vastly different cellulase systems: the classical "free enzyme" system of the saprophytic fungus, Trichoderma reesei (T. reesei) and the complexed, multifunctional enzymes produced by the hot springs resident, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii (C. bescii). We demonstrate by comparative digestions that the C. bescii system outperforms the fungal enzyme system in terms of total cellulose conversion, sugar production, and nanocellulose production. In addition, we show by multimodal imaging and dynamic light scattering that the nanocellulose produced by the C. bescii cellulase system is substantially more uniform than that produced by the T. reesei system. These disparities in the yields and characteristics of the nanocellulose produced by these disparate systems can be attributed to the dramatic differences in the mechanisms of action of the dominant enzymes in each system.

  11. PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOLYTIC ENZYMES BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER AND RHIZOPUS SP . BY SOLID STATE FERMENTATION OF PRICKLY PEAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TAMIRES CARVALHO DOS SANTOS

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Prickly palm cactus husk was used as a solid - state fermentation support substrate for the production of cellulolytic enzymes using Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus sp. A Box - Behnken design was used to evaluate the effects of water activity, fermentation time and temperature on endoglucanase and total cellulase production. Response Surface Methodology showed that optimum conditions for endoglucanase production were achieved at after 70.35 h of fermentation at 29.56°C and a water activity of 0.875 for Aspergillus niger and after 68.12 h at 30.41°C for Rhizopus sp. Optimum conditions for total cellulase production were achieved after 74.27 h of fermentation at 31.22°C for Aspergillus niger and after 72.48 h and 27.86°C for Rhizopus sp . Water activity had a significant effect on Aspergillus niger endoglucanase production only. In industrial applications, enzymatic characterization is important for optimizing variables such as temperature and pH. In this study we showed that endoglucanase and total cellulase had a high level of thermostability and pH stability in all the enzymatic extracts. Enzymatic deactivation kinetic experiments indicated that the enzymes remained active after the freezing of the crude extract. Based on the results, bioconversion of cactus is an excellent alternative for the production of thermostable enzymes.

  12. Bioconversion process of rice straw by thermotolerant cellulolytic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2011-09-26

    state fermentation for bioethanol production is a focus of current attention. ... Optimization of fermentation conditions showed highest cellulolytic enzymes ... using dilute acid pretreated rice straw hydrolysate with initial soluble ...

  13. Polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and polynucleotides encoding same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiyuran, Suchindra; Kramer, Randall; Harris, Paul

    2013-10-29

    The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

  14. Enzymatic degradation of cellulose for thermophilic actinomycete: isolation, characterization and cellulolytic activity determination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Ramírez

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available One hundred and forty five cellulolytic thermophilic actinomycete strains were isolated from 71 compost, soil, hay and dung samples. Streptomyces sp. (50,63%, Thermomonospora curvata (15,82%, T. chromogena (13,92%, and other species were identified. Endoglucanase, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase activities were evaluated from 10 cellulolytic actinomycete strains. Among these the Streptomyces sp. 7CMC10 strain showed the biggest activity levels corresponding to 20,14; 2,61 and 5,40 UI/mg of protein, respectively.

  15. Evaluation in Cellulolytic Activity of Stenotrophomonas sp. in Cellulose Nitrogen Free Mineral Medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honey Thet Paing Htway; San San Yu; Zaw Ko Latt

    2011-12-01

    Three bacterial strains were isolated from rice rhizospheric soil and their nitrogen fixing activity was determined in nitrogen free mineral medium and broth with glucose and cellulose as carbon sources and they produced ammonium concentration (above 3ppm) in G-NFFMM and (2-3ppm) in C-NFMM. Moreover, their cellulolytic activity was determined by DNS mothod and strain H3 having the cellulolytic activity was selected. Then, cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, baggasse, pea haulm, corn stem, rice straw were used as substrates and determined its reducing sugar concentration. After detection of the cellulolytic activity, the bacteria produced the highest concentration of reducing sugar on cellulose substrate at 12 day incubation period with the reducing sugar amount of 0.12mg/ml and 0.298mg/ml on CMC substrates. In the study of argicultral wastes as substrates, the selected strain, H3, produced in the reducing sugar concentration with 0.12, 0.116,0.103 and 0.098mg/ml respectively. The selected strain was identified by biochemical characterists and 16s ribosomal DNA analysis and it was Stenotrophomonas sp.

  16. Chimeric polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and polynucleotides encoding same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wogulis, Mark; Sweeney, Matthew; Heu, Tia

    2017-06-14

    The present invention relates to chimeric GH61 polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the chimeric GH61 polypeptides; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the chimeric GH61 polypeptides.

  17. Improvement of ethanol production from crystalline cellulose via optimizing cellulase ratios in cellulolytic Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhuo; Inokuma, Kentaro; Ho, Shih-Hsin; den Haan, Riaan; van Zyl, Willem H; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Kondo, Akihiko

    2017-06-01

    Crystalline cellulose is one of the major contributors to the recalcitrance of lignocellulose to degradation, necessitating high dosages of cellulase to digest, thereby impeding the economic feasibility of cellulosic biofuels. Several recombinant cellulolytic yeast strains have been developed to reduce the cost of enzyme addition, but few of these strains are able to efficiently degrade crystalline cellulose due to their low cellulolytic activities. Here, by combining the cellulase ratio optimization with a novel screening strategy, we successfully improved the cellulolytic activity of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain displaying four different synergistic cellulases on the cell surface. The optimized strain exhibited an ethanol yield from Avicel of 57% of the theoretical maximum, and a 60% increase of ethanol titer from rice straw. To our knowledge, this work is the first optimization of the degradation of crystalline cellulose by tuning the cellulase ratio in a cellulase cell-surface display system. This work provides key insights in engineering the cellulase cocktail in a consolidated bioprocessing yeast strain. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1201-1207. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Reactivity improvement of cellulolytic enzyme lignin via mild hydrothermal modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Zhuoming; Tang, Jiafa; Li, Shujun; Suo, Enxiang

    2017-12-01

    Isolated by the cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) process, water-alcohol (1:1, v/v) was introduced as co-solvent in the process of the hydrothermal treatment. The modification parameters such as reaction temperature and time, solid-to-liquid ratio, and catalysts (NaOH and NaOAlO 2 ) have been investigated in terms of the specific lignin properties, such as the phenolic hydroxyl content (OH phen ), DPPH free radical scavenging rate, and formaldehyde value. The CELs were also characterized by GPC, FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and Py-GC/MS. The key data are under optimal lignin modification conditions (solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 (w/v) and a temperature of 250°C for 60min) are: OH phen content: 2.50mmol/g; half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) towards DPPH free radicals: 88.2mg/L; formaldehyde value: 446.9g/kg). Both base catalysts decrease the residue rate, but phenol reactivities of the products were also detracted. Py-GC/MS results revealed that modified lignin had a higher phenolic composition than the CEL did, especially the modified lignin without catalyst (ML), which represented 74.51% phenolic content. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Biochanin A improves fiber fermentation by cellulolytic bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective was to determine the effect of the isoflavone biochanin A (BCA) on rumen cellulolytic bacteria and consequent fermentative activity. When bovine microbial rumen cell suspensions (n = 3) were incubated (24 h, 39 °C) with ground hay, cellulolytic bacteria proliferated, short chain fatty...

  20. Cellulolytic and xylanolytic potential of high β-glucosidase-producing Trichoderma from decaying biomass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okeke, Benedict C

    2014-10-01

    Availability, cost, and efficiency of microbial enzymes for lignocellulose bioconversion are central to sustainable biomass ethanol technology. Fungi enriched from decaying biomass and surface soil mixture displayed an array of strong cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities. Strains SG2 and SG4 produced a promising array of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes including β-glucosidase, usually low in cultures of Trichoderma species. Nucleotide sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of rRNA gene revealed that strains SG2 and SG4 are closely related to Trichoderma inhamatum, Trichoderma piluliferum, and Trichoderma aureoviride. Trichoderma sp. SG2 crude culture supernatant correspondingly displayed as much as 9.84 ± 1.12, 48.02 ± 2.53, and 30.10 ± 1.11 units mL(-1) of cellulase, xylanase, and β-glucosidase in 30 min assay. Ten times dilution of culture supernatant of strain SG2 revealed that total activities were about 5.34, 8.45, and 2.05 orders of magnitude higher than observed in crude culture filtrate for cellulase, xylanase, and β-glucosidase, respectively, indicating that more enzymes are present to contact with substrates in biomass saccharification. In parallel experiments, Trichoderma species SG2 and SG4 produced more β-glucosidase than the industrial strain Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30. Results indicate that strains SG2 and SG4 have potential for low cost in-house production of primary lignocellulose-hydrolyzing enzymes for production of biomass saccharides and biofuel in the field.

  1. Process relevant screening of cellulolytic organisms for consolidated bioprocessing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antonov, Elena; Schlembach, Ivan; Regestein, Lars; Rosenbaum, Miriam A; Büchs, Jochen

    2017-01-01

    Although the biocatalytic conversion of cellulosic biomass could replace fossil oil for the production of various compounds, it is often not economically viable due to the high costs of cellulolytic enzymes. One possibility to reduce costs is consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), integrating cellulase production, hydrolysis of cellulose, and the fermentation of the released sugars to the desired product into one process step. To establish such a process, the most suitable cellulase-producing organism has to be identified. Thereby, it is crucial to evaluate the candidates under target process conditions. In this work, the chosen model process was the conversion of cellulose to the platform chemical itaconic acid by a mixed culture of a cellulolytic fungus with Aspergillus terreus as itaconic acid producer. Various cellulase producers were analyzed by the introduced freeze assay that measures the initial carbon release rate, quantifying initial cellulase activity under target process conditions. Promising candidates were then characterized online by monitoring their respiration activity metabolizing cellulose to assess the growth and enzyme production dynamics. The screening of five different cellulase producers with the freeze assay identified Trichoderma   reesei and Penicillium   verruculosum as most promising. The measurement of the respiration activity revealed a retarded induction of cellulase production for P.   verruculosum but a similar cellulase production rate afterwards, compared to T.   reesei . The freeze assay measurement depicted that P.   verruculosum reaches the highest initial carbon release rate among all investigated cellulase producers. After a modification of the cultivation procedure, these results were confirmed by the respiration activity measurement. To compare both methods, a correlation between the measured respiration activity and the initial carbon release rate of the freeze assay was introduced. The analysis revealed that the

  2. The genome sequences of Cellulomonas fimi and "Cellvibrio gilvus" reveal the cellulolytic strategies of two facultative anaerobes, transfer of "Cellvibrio gilvus" to the genus Cellulomonas, and proposal of Cellulomonas gilvus sp. nov.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa R Christopherson

    Full Text Available Actinobacteria in the genus Cellulomonas are the only known and reported cellulolytic facultative anaerobes. To better understand the cellulolytic strategy employed by these bacteria, we sequenced the genome of the Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484(T. For comparative purposes, we also sequenced the genome of the aerobic cellulolytic "Cellvibrio gilvus" ATCC 13127(T. An initial analysis of these genomes using phylogenetic and whole-genome comparison revealed that "Cellvibrio gilvus" belongs to the genus Cellulomonas. We thus propose to assign "Cellvibrio gilvus" to the genus Cellulomonas. A comparative genomics analysis between these two Cellulomonas genome sequences and the recently completed genome for Cellulomonas flavigena ATCC 482(T showed that these cellulomonads do not encode cellulosomes but appear to degrade cellulose by secreting multi-domain glycoside hydrolases. Despite the minimal number of carbohydrate-active enzymes encoded by these genomes, as compared to other known cellulolytic organisms, these bacteria were found to be proficient at degrading and utilizing a diverse set of carbohydrates, including crystalline cellulose. Moreover, they also encode for proteins required for the fermentation of hexose and xylose sugars into products such as ethanol. Finally, we found relatively few significant differences between the predicted carbohydrate-active enzymes encoded by these Cellulomonas genomes, in contrast to previous studies reporting differences in physiological approaches for carbohydrate degradation. Our sequencing and analysis of these genomes sheds light onto the mechanism through which these facultative anaerobes degrade cellulose, suggesting that the sequenced cellulomonads use secreted, multidomain enzymes to degrade cellulose in a way that is distinct from known anaerobic cellulolytic strategies.

  3. Recycle of enzymes and substrate following enzymatic hydrolysis of steam-pretreated aspenwood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mes-Hartree, M.; Hogan, C.M.; Saddler, J.N.

    1987-09-01

    The commercial production of chemicals and fuels from lignocellulosic residues by enzymatic means still requires considerable research on both the technical and economic aspects. Two technical problems that have been identified as requiring further research are the recycle of the enzymes used in hydrolysis and the reuse of the recalcitrant cellulose remaining after incomplete hydrolysis. Enzyme recycle is required to lower the cost of the enzymes, while the reuse of the spent cellulose will lower the feedstock cost. The conversion process studied was a combined enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation (CHF) procedure that utilized the cellulolytic enzymes derived from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum E58 and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The rate and extent of hydrolysis and ethanol production was monitored as was the activity and hydrolytic potential of the enzymes remaining in the filtrate after the hydrolysis period. When a commercial cellulose was used as the substrate for a routine 2-day CHF process, 60% of the original filter paper activity could be recovered. When steam-treated, water-extracted aspenwood was used as the substrate, only 13% of the original filter paper activity was detected after a similar procedure. The combination of 60% spent enzymes with 40% fresh enzymes resulted in the production of 30% less reducing sugars than the original enzyme mixture. Since 100% hydrolysis of the cellulose portion is seldom accomplished in an enzymatic hydrolysis process, the residual cellulose was used as a substrate for the growth of T. harzianum E58 and production of cellulolytic enzymes. The residue remaining after the CHF process was used as a substrate for the production of the cellulolytic enzymes. The production of enzymes from the residue of the Solka Floc hydrolysis was greater than the production of enzymes from the original Solka Floc. (Refs. 14).

  4. Utilization of mixed cellulolytic microbes from termite extract, elephant faecal solution and buffalo ruminal fluid to increase in vitro digestibility of King Grass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agung Prabowo

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose is a compound of plant cell walls which is difficult to be degraded because it composed of glucose monomers linked by β-(1.4-bound. It will be hydrolysed by cellulase enzyme secreted by cellulolytic microbes. The effective digestion of cellulose needs high activity of cellulase enzyme. This research aims to increase in vitro king grass digestibility utilizing mixed cellulolytic microbes of termite extract, elephant faecal solution, and buffalo ruminal fluid. Twelve syringes contained gas test media were randomly divided into four treatments based on sources of microbe (SM, namely: S (SM: cattle ruminal fluid [S], RGK (SM: mixed cellulolytic microbes of termite extract, elephant faecal solution, and buffalo ruminal fluid [RGK], with composition 1 : 1 : 1, S-RGK (SM: S + RGK, with composition 1:1, and TM (without given treatment microbe. Digestibility was measured using gas test method. Average of gas production treatment of S-RGK (70.2 + 0.6 ml was higher and significantly different (P<0.01 compared to treatment of S (60.3 + 0.8 ml, RGK (40.8 + 2.3 ml, and TM (13.3 + 2.0 ml. Utilization of mixed cellulolytic microbes of termite extract, elephant faecal solution, and buffalo ruminal fluid (RGK that combined with microbes of cattle ruminal fluid (S could increase in vitro digestibility of king grass.

  5. Relationship between soil cellulolytic activity and suppression of seedling blight of barley in arable soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Peter Have; Knudsen, I.; Elmholt, S.

    2002-01-01

    the Hanes-Wolf transformation of the Michaelis-Menten equation. Soil samples from 6 to 13 cm depth were collected in the early spring as undisturbed blocks from 10 arable soils with different physico-chemical properties and cultivation history. Significant correlations were found between soil suppresiveness......The objective was to investigate the relationship between soil suppression of seedling blight of barley caused by Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith) Sacc. and the soil cellulolytic activity of beta-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase and endocellulase. Disease suppression was investigated in bioassays...... with test soils mixed with sand, and barley seeds inoculated with F. culmorum. After 19 days, disease severity was evaluated on the barley seedlings. Soil cellulolytic activities were measured using 4-methylumbelliferyl-labelled fluorogenic substrates, and were expressed as V-max values obtained by using...

  6. Cellulose digestion in Monochamus marmorator Kby. (coleoptera: Cerambycidae): role of acquired fungal enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kukol, J.J.; Martin, M.M.

    1986-05-01

    Larvae of the balsam fir sawyer, Monochamus marmorator Kby. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), contain midgut digestive enzymes active against hemicellulose and cellulose. Cellulases from larvae fed on balsam fir wood infected with the fungus, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai (Deuteromycetes, Moniliales, Moniliaceae), were found to be identical to those of the cellulase complex produced by this fungus when compared using chromatography, electrophoresis, and isofocusing. When larvae are maintained on a fungusfree diet, their midgut fluids lack cellulolytic activity, and they are unable to digest cellulose. Cellulolytic capacity can be restored by feeding the larvae wood permeated by fungi. We conclude that the enzymes which enable M. marmorator larvae to digest cellulose are not produced by the larvae. Instead, the larvae acquire the capacity to digest cellulose by ingesting active fungal cellulases while feeding in fungus-infected wood.

  7. Cellulose digestion in Monochamus marmorator Kby. (coleoptera: Cerambycidae): role of acquired fungal enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kukol, J.J.; Martin, M.M.

    1986-01-01

    Larvae of the balsam fir sawyer, Monochamus marmorator Kby. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), contain midgut digestive enzymes active against hemicellulose and cellulose. Cellulases from larvae fed on balsam fir wood infected with the fungus, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai (Deuteromycetes, Moniliales, Moniliaceae), were found to be identical to those of the cellulase complex produced by this fungus when compared using chromatography, electrophoresis, and isofocusing. When larvae are maintained on a fungusfree diet, their midgut fluids lack cellulolytic activity, and they are unable to digest cellulose. Cellulolytic capacity can be restored by feeding the larvae wood permeated by fungi. We conclude that the enzymes which enable M. marmorator larvae to digest cellulose are not produced by the larvae. Instead, the larvae acquire the capacity to digest cellulose by ingesting active fungal cellulases while feeding in fungus-infected wood

  8. Microbiota Dynamics Associated with Environmental Conditions and Potential Roles of Cellulolytic Communities in Traditional Chinese Cereal Starter Solid-State Fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pan; Liang, Hebin; Lin, Wei-Tie; Feng, Feng; Luo, Lixin

    2015-08-01

    Traditional Chinese solid-state fermented cereal starters contain highly complex microbial communities and enzymes. Very little is known, however, about the microbial dynamics related to environmental conditions, and cellulolytic communities have never been proposed to exist during cereal starter fermentation. In this study, we performed Illumina MiSeq sequencing combined with PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to investigate microbiota, coupled with clone library construction to trace cellulolytic communities in both fermentation stages. A succession of microbial assemblages was observed during the fermentation of starters. Lactobacillales and Saccharomycetales dominated the initial stages, with a continuous decline in relative abundance. However, thermotolerant and drought-resistant Bacillales, Eurotiales, and Mucorales were considerably accelerated during the heating stages, and these organisms dominated until the end of fermentation. Enterobacteriales were consistently ubiquitous throughout the process. For the cellulolytic communities, only the genera Sanguibacter, Beutenbergia, Agrobacterium, and Erwinia dominated the initial fermentation stages. In contrast, stages at high incubation temperature induced the appearance and dominance of Bacillus, Aspergillus, and Mucor. The enzymatic dynamics of amylase and glucoamylase also showed a similar trend, with the activities clearly increased in the first 7 days and subsequently decreased until the end of fermentation. Furthermore, β-glucosidase activity continuously and significantly increased during the fermentation process. Evidently, cellulolytic potential can adapt to environmental conditions by changes in the community structure during the fermentation of starters. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  9. Enzymatic activity of the cellulolytic complex produced by Trichoderma reesei. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose; Actividad enzimatica del complejo celulolitico producido por Trichoderma reesei. Hidrolisis enzimatica de la celulosa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alfonsel, M; Negro, M J; Saez, R; Martin, C

    1986-07-01

    The enzymatic activity characterization of the cellulolytic complex obtained from Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 and the influence of the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the hydrolysis yield are studied. Pure cellulose and native or alkali pretreated biomass Onopordum nervosum have been used as substrates. The values of pH, temperature, substrate concentration and enzyme-substrate ratio for the optimum activity of that complex, evaluated as glucose and reducing sugars production, have been selected. Previous studies on enzymatic hydrolysis of 0. nervosum have shown a remarkable effect of the alkaline pretreatments on the final hydrolysis yield. (Author) 10 refs.

  10. Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity (MCHCA for enhanced biogas production.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof ePoszytek

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a substrate in agricultural biogas plants is very popular and yields good results. However, the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and thus biogas production, is not always satisfactory due to the slow or incomplete degradation (hydrolysis of plant matter. To enhance the solubilization of the lignocellulosic biomass various physical, chemical and biological pretreatment methods are used.The aim of this study was to select and characterize cellulose-degrading bacteria, and to construct a microbial consortium, dedicated for degradation of maize silage and enhancing biogas production from this substrate.Over one hundred strains of cellulose-degrading bacteria were isolated from: sewage sludge, hydrolyzer from an agricultural biogas plant, cattle slurry and manure. After physiological characterization of the isolates, sixteen strains (representatives of Bacillus, Providencia and Ochrobactrum genera were chosen for the construction of a Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity, called MCHCA. The selected strains had a high endoglucanase activity (exceeding 0.21 IU/mL CMCase activity and a wide range of tolerance to various physical and chemical conditions. Lab-scale simulation of biogas production using the selected strains for degradation of maize silage was carried out in a two-bioreactor system, similar to those used in agricultural biogas plants.The obtained results showed that the constructed MCHCA consortium is capable of efficient hydrolysis of maize silage, and increases biogas production by even 38%, depending on the inoculum used for methane fermentation. The results in this work indicate that the mesophilic Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity has a great potential for application on industrial scale in agricultural biogas plants.

  11. Patterns of functional enzyme activity in fungus farming ambrosia beetles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Fine Licht, Henrik H; Biedermann, Peter H W

    2012-06-06

    In wood-dwelling fungus-farming weevils, the so-called ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae), wood in the excavated tunnels is used as a medium for cultivating fungi by the combined action of digging larvae (which create more space for the fungi to grow) and of adults sowing and pruning the fungus. The beetles are obligately dependent on the fungus that provides essential vitamins, amino acids and sterols. However, to what extent microbial enzymes support fungus farming in ambrosia beetles is unknown. Here we measure (i) 13 plant cell-wall degrading enzymes in the fungus garden microbial consortium of the ambrosia beetle Xyleborinus saxesenii, including its primary fungal symbionts, in three compartments of laboratory maintained nests, at different time points after gallery foundation and (ii) four specific enzymes that may be either insect or microbially derived in X. saxesenii adult and larval individuals. We discovered that the activity of cellulases in ambrosia fungus gardens is relatively small compared to the activities of other cellulolytic enzymes. Enzyme activity in all compartments of the garden was mainly directed towards hemicellulose carbohydrates such as xylan, glucomannan and callose. Hemicellulolytic enzyme activity within the brood chamber increased with gallery age, whereas irrespective of the age of the gallery, the highest overall enzyme activity were detected in the gallery dump material expelled by the beetles. Interestingly endo-β-1,3(4)-glucanase activity capable of callose degradation was identified in whole-body extracts of both larvae and adult X. saxesenii, whereas endo-β-1,4-xylanase activity was exclusively detected in larvae. Similar to closely related fungi associated with bark beetles in phloem, the microbial symbionts of ambrosia beetles hardly degrade cellulose. Instead, their enzyme activity is directed mainly towards comparatively more easily accessible hemicellulose components of the ray

  12. Celluloytic enzymes, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gray, Kevin A; Zhao, Lishan; Cayouette, Michelle H

    2015-11-04

    The invention is directed to polypeptides having any cellulolytic activity, e.g., a cellulase activity, e.g., endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, beta-glucosidase, xylanase, mannanse, .beta.-xylosidase, arabinofuranosidase, and/or oligomerase activity, including thermostable and thermotolerant activity, and polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, and making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptides of the invention can be used in a variety of pharmaceutical, agricultural, food and feed processing and industrial contexts. The invention also provides compositions or products of manufacture comprising mixtures of enzymes comprising at least one enzyme of this invention.

  13. Celluloytic enzymes, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Kevin A.; Zhao, Lishan; Cayouette, Michelle H.

    2015-09-08

    The invention is directed to polypeptides having any cellulolytic activity, e.g., a cellulase activity, e.g., endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, beta-glucosidase, xylanase, mannanse, .beta.-xylosidase, arabinofuranosidase, and/or oligomerase activity, including thermostable and thermotolerant activity, and polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, and making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptides of the invention can be used in a variety of pharmaceutical, agricultural, food and feed processing and industrial contexts. The invention also provides compositions or products of manufacture comprising mixtures of enzymes comprising at least one enzyme of this invention.

  14. Isolation and Screening of Potential Cellulolytic and Xylanolytic Bacteria from Soil Sample for Degradation of Lignocellulosic Biomass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhupal Govinda Shrestha

    2016-11-01

    them with the aptitude to produce stable enzymes, little emphasis has been given to cellulose/xylanase production from bacteria. Seven soil samples were collected from eastern hilly districts of Nepal viz. Taplejung, Panchthar and Sankhuwasabha districts, from soil surface and at depth of 10cm to 20cm, and were isolated separately. From the seven soil samples, four bacterial isolates were obtained. Isolates (PSS, P1D, TLC, SNK were then screened for cellulolytic/xylanolytic activity using Congo red assay on Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC/xylan agar plates. The enzyme activity obtained from isolates was dependent on substrate concentration. The activity of enzymes produced by isolates were also measured and compared on pretreated sugarcane bagasse. Among those samples, the greatest zone of inhibition in both CMC (1.3 cm and xylan (1.0 cm agar media was seen in isolate P1D. It also produced the highest activity of endoglucanase and xylanase i.e. activity 0.035 U/mL and 0.050 U/mL respectively at 0.010 mg mL-1 standard substrate concentration of CMC and xylan.

  15. Comparative analysis of carbohydrate active enzymes in Clostridium termitidis CT1112 reveals complex carbohydrate degradation ability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riffat I Munir

    Full Text Available Clostridium termitidis strain CT1112 is an anaerobic, gram positive, mesophilic, cellulolytic bacillus isolated from the gut of the wood-feeding termite, Nasutitermes lujae. It produces biofuels such as hydrogen and ethanol from cellulose, cellobiose, xylan, xylose, glucose, and other sugars, and therefore could be used for biofuel production from biomass through consolidated bioprocessing. The first step in the production of biofuel from biomass by microorganisms is the hydrolysis of complex carbohydrates present in biomass. This is achieved through the presence of a repertoire of secreted or complexed carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes, sometimes organized in an extracellular organelle called cellulosome. To assess the ability and understand the mechanism of polysaccharide hydrolysis in C. termitidis, the recently sequenced strain CT1112 of C. termitidis was analyzed for both CAZymes and cellulosomal components, and compared to other cellulolytic bacteria. A total of 355 CAZyme sequences were identified in C. termitidis, significantly higher than other Clostridial species. Of these, high numbers of glycoside hydrolases (199 and carbohydrate binding modules (95 were identified. The presence of a variety of CAZymes involved with polysaccharide utilization/degradation ability suggests hydrolysis potential for a wide range of polysaccharides. In addition, dockerin-bearing enzymes, cohesion domains and a cellulosomal gene cluster were identified, indicating the presence of potential cellulosome assembly.

  16. Biodegradation of Palm Kernel Cake by Cellulolytic and Hemicellulolytic Bacterial Cultures through Solid State Fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Idris Alshelmani

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Four cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic bacterial cultures were purchased from the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Culture (DSMZ and the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC. Two experiments were conducted; the objective of the first experiment was to determine the optimum time period required for solid state fermentation (SSF of palm kernel cake (PKC, whereas the objective of the second experiment was to investigate the effect of combinations of these cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic bacteria on the nutritive quality of the PKC. In the first experiment, the SSF was lasted for 12 days with inoculum size of 10% (v/w on different PKC to moisture ratios. In the second experiment, fifteen combinations were created among the four microbes with one untreated PKC as a control. The SSF lasted for 9 days, and the samples were autoclaved, dried, and analyzed for proximate analysis. Results showed that bacterial cultures produced high enzymes activities at the 4th day of SSF, whereas their abilities to produce enzymes tended to be decreased to reach zero at the 8th day of SSF. Findings in the second experiment showed that hemicellulose and cellulose was significantly P<0.05 decreased, whereas the amount of reducing sugars were significantly P<0.05 increased in the fermented PKC (FPKC compared with untreated PKC.

  17. The Cellulolytic Activity And Volatile Fatty Acid Product Of Rumen Bacteria Of Buffalo And Cattle On Rice Straw, Elephant Grass, and Sesbania Leaves Substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caribu Hadi Prayitno

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Experiment on The Cellulolytic Activity and Volatile Fatty Acid Product of Rumen Bacteria of Buffalo and Cattle on Rice Straw, Elephant Grass, and Sesbania Leaves Substrates had been conducted at Feedstuff Laboratory of Animal Science Soedirman University. The basic design  that was used in this experiment was Completely Randomized Design (CRD with factorial pattern of 6 x 3, three replications. The bacteria isolate as the factors were cellulolytic rumen bacteria isolate of buffalo (A1, A2, and A3 and cattle (A4, A5 and A6 while the substrates (second factor  were NDF rice straw (S1, elephant grass (S2, and sesbania leaves (S3 Cell walls. The result of this experiment showed that the interaction between bacteria isolate and substrate  type were significant on pH, NDF digestibility, cellulase activity, pH was  6.28 until 6.43.  The NDF digestibility range was 12.27 until 55.61 percent. The lowers of cellulase activity was 5.11 IU/ml and the higher was 24.47 IU/ml. The range of acetic acid yield was 63.37 to 307.467 mg/100 ml. Range of  propionic production was 15.17 to 352.20 mg/ 100 ml. The production of butiric acid was 8.77 to 40.87 mg/ 100 ml. The cellulase activity  of cellulolytic rumen bacteria of buffalo was higher than cattle, and also their effect on NDF digestibility of rice straw, elephant grass, and sesbania leaves cell walls. The A3 of cellulolytic rumen bacteria isolate of  buffalo changed cell walls substrat to volatile fatty  acid was more effective than cattle, especially on cell elephant grass. Propionic and butiric  acid that was produced by cellulolytic rumen bacteria isolate of buffalo more higher than cattle (Animal Production 1 (1 : 1-9 (1999 Key Words: Cellulolytic, VFA, Rumen Bacteria, Buffalo, Cattle.

  18. Biochemical characterization of thermostable cellulase enzyme from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2012-05-29

    May 29, 2012 ... tested for their ability to produce cellulase complex enzyme by growing on a defined substrates as well ... In the current industrial processes, cellulolytic enzymes ... energy sources such as glucose, ethanol, hydrogen and.

  19. Reactor design for minimizing product inhibition during enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis: I. Significance and mechanism of cellobiose and glucose inhibition on cellulolytic enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andric, Pavle; Meyer, Anne S.; Jensen, Peter Arendt

    2010-01-01

    Achievement of efficient enzymatic degradation of cellulose to glucose is one of the main prerequisites and one of the main challenges in the biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to liquid fuels and other valuable products. The specific inhibitory interferences by cellobiose and glucose...... on enzyme-catalyzed cellulose hydrolysis reactions impose significant limitations on the efficiency of lignocellulose conversion especially at high-biomass dry matter conditions. To provide the base for selecting the optimal reactor conditions, this paper reviews the reaction kinetics, mechanisms......, and significance of this product inhibition, notably the cellobiose and glucose inhibition, on enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. Particular emphasis is put on the distinct complexity of cellulose as a substrate, the multi-enzymatic nature of the cellulolytic degradation, and the particular features of cellulase...

  20. Nutrient effects on production of cellulolytic enzymes by Aspergillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    glucosidase) by Aspergillus niger on three media in liquid shake culture was compared. The culture filtrate of this organism exhibited relatively highest activity of all three enzymes and extracellular protein content at 7-day interval during the course of its ...

  1. Cellulolytic activities of wild type fungi isolated from decayed wood ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prof. Ogunji

    amongst the fungal isolates while M. mucedo had the least cellulolytic ... across plant taxa, high cellulose content; typically in the range of ... antibiotic mixture made up of distilled water, 50 ml and Erythromycin: 500mg was .... cellulases including β-glucosidase were produced from Penicillium, Aspergillus and Trichoderma ...

  2. Patterns of functional enzyme activity in fungus farming ambrosia beetles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Fine Licht Henrik H

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction In wood-dwelling fungus-farming weevils, the so-called ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae, wood in the excavated tunnels is used as a medium for cultivating fungi by the combined action of digging larvae (which create more space for the fungi to grow and of adults sowing and pruning the fungus. The beetles are obligately dependent on the fungus that provides essential vitamins, amino acids and sterols. However, to what extent microbial enzymes support fungus farming in ambrosia beetles is unknown. Here we measure (i 13 plant cell-wall degrading enzymes in the fungus garden microbial consortium of the ambrosia beetle Xyleborinus saxesenii, including its primary fungal symbionts, in three compartments of laboratory maintained nests, at different time points after gallery foundation and (ii four specific enzymes that may be either insect or microbially derived in X. saxesenii adult and larval individuals. Results We discovered that the activity of cellulases in ambrosia fungus gardens is relatively small compared to the activities of other cellulolytic enzymes. Enzyme activity in all compartments of the garden was mainly directed towards hemicellulose carbohydrates such as xylan, glucomannan and callose. Hemicellulolytic enzyme activity within the brood chamber increased with gallery age, whereas irrespective of the age of the gallery, the highest overall enzyme activity were detected in the gallery dump material expelled by the beetles. Interestingly endo-β-1,3(4-glucanase activity capable of callose degradation was identified in whole-body extracts of both larvae and adult X. saxesenii, whereas endo-β-1,4-xylanase activity was exclusively detected in larvae. Conclusion Similar to closely related fungi associated with bark beetles in phloem, the microbial symbionts of ambrosia beetles hardly degrade cellulose. Instead, their enzyme activity is directed mainly towards comparatively more easily

  3. SACCHARIFICATION OF CORNCOB USING CELLULOLYTIC BACTERIA FOR BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TITI CANDRA SUNARTI

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of cellulose degrading enzyme (cellulases for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material is a part of bioethanol production process. In this experiment, delignified corncob, its cellulose fraction and alpha cellulose were used as substrates to produce fermentable sugar by using three local isolates of celluloytic bacteria (C5-1, C4-4, C11-1 and Cmix ; mixed cultures of three isolates, and Saccharomyces cereviseae to produce ethanol. The results showed that all isolates of cellulolytic bacteria can grow on cellulose fraction better than on delignified corncob, and alpha cellulose. The highest hydrolytic activity produced from cellulose fraction was by isolate C4-4, which liberated 3.50 g/l of total sugar. Ethanol can be produced by mixed culture of bacteria and yeast, but because of competitive growth, the fermentation only produced 0.39-0.47 g/l of ethanol.

  4. Community composition and cellulase activity of cellulolytic bacteria from forest soils planted with broad-leaved deciduous and evergreen trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiang-Ke; Zhang, Jing-Jing; Yu, Heng-Yu; Cheng, Jian-Wen; Miao, Li-Hong

    2014-02-01

    Cellulolytic bacteria in forest soil provide carbon sources to improve the soil fertility and sustain the nutrient balance of the forest ecological system through the decomposition of cellulosic remains. These bacteria can also be utilized for the biological conversion of biomass into renewable biofuels. In this study, the community compositions and activities of cellulolytic bacteria in the soils of forests planted with broad-leaved deciduous (Chang Qing Garden, CQG) and broad-leaved evergreen (Forest Park, FP) trees in Wuhan, China were resolved through restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. All of the isolates exhibited 35 RFLP fingerprint patterns and were clustered into six groups at a similarity level of 50 %. The phylogeny analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that these RFLP groups could be clustered into three phylogenetic groups and further divided into six subgroups at a higher resolution. Group I consists of isolates from Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis complex (I-A) and from Paenibacillus amylolyticus-related complex (I-B) and exhibited the highest cellulase activity among all of the cellulolytic bacteria isolates. Cluster II consists of isolates belonging to Microbacterium testaceum (II-A), Chryseobacterium indoltheticum (II-B), and Flavobacterium pectinovorum and the related complex (II-C). Cluster III consists of isolates belonging to Pseudomonas putida-related species. The community shift with respect to the plant species and the soil properties was evidenced by the phylogenetic composition of the communities. Groups I-A and I-B, which account for 36.0 % of the cellulolytic communities in the CQG site, are the dominant groups (88.4 %) in the FP site. Alternatively, the ratio of the bacteria belonging to group III (P. putida-related isolates) shifted from 28.0 % in CQG to 4.0 % in FP. The soil nutrient analysis revealed that the CQG site planted with deciduous broad

  5. Insight into Dominant Cellulolytic Bacteria from Two Biogas Digesters and Their Glycoside Hydrolase Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Lei; Geng, Alei; Liu, Fanghua; Zhao, Guoping; Wang, Shengyue; Zhou, Zhihua; Yan, Xing

    2015-01-01

    Diverse cellulolytic bacteria are essential for maintaining high lignocellulose degradation ability in biogas digesters. However, little was known about functional genes and gene clusters of dominant cellulolytic bacteria in biogas digesters. This is the foundation to understand lignocellulose degradation mechanisms of biogas digesters and apply these gene resource for optimizing biofuel production. A combination of metagenomic and 16S rRNA gene clone library methods was used to investigate the dominant cellulolytic bacteria and their glycoside hydrolase (GH) genes in two biogas digesters. The 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the dominant cellulolytic bacteria were strains closely related to Clostridium straminisolvens and an uncultured cellulolytic bacterium designated BG-1. To recover GH genes from cellulolytic bacteria in general, and BG-1 in particular, a refined assembly approach developed in this study was used to assemble GH genes from metagenomic reads; 163 GH-containing contigs ≥ 1 kb in length were obtained. Six recovered GH5 genes that were expressed in E. coli demonstrated multiple lignocellulase activities and one had high mannanase activity (1255 U/mg). Eleven fosmid clones harboring the recovered GH-containing contigs were sequenced and assembled into 10 fosmid contigs. The composition of GH genes in the 163 assembled metagenomic contigs and 10 fosmid contigs indicated that diverse GHs and lignocellulose degradation mechanisms were present in the biogas digesters. In particular, a small portion of BG-1 genome information was recovered by PhyloPythiaS analysis. The lignocellulase gene clusters in BG-1 suggested that it might use a possible novel lignocellulose degradation mechanism to efficiently degrade lignocellulose. Dominant cellulolytic bacteria of biogas digester possess diverse GH genes, not only in sequences but also in their functions, which may be applied for production of biofuel in the future. PMID:26070087

  6. Assessment of cellulolytic microorganisms in soils of Nevados Park, Colombia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avellaneda-Torres, Lizeth Manuela; Pulido, Claudia Patricia Guevara; Rojas, Esperanza Torres

    2014-01-01

    A systematized survey was conducted to find soil-borne microbes that degrade cellulose in soils from unique ecosystems, such as the Superpáramo, Páramo, and the High Andean Forest in the Nevados National Natural Park (NNNP), Colombia. These high mountain ecosystems represent extreme environments, such as high levels of solar radiation, low atmospheric pressure, and extreme daily changes in temperature. Cellulolytic activity of the microorganisms was evaluated using qualitative tests, such as growth in selective media followed by staining with congo red and iodine, and quantitative tests to determine the activity of endoglucanase, β-glucosidase, exoglucanase, and total cellulase. Microorganisms were identified using molecular markers, such as the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of ribosomal DNA for fungi. Multivariate statistical analysis (MVA) was used to select microorganisms with high cellulolytic capacity. A total of 108 microorganisms were isolated from the soils and, in general, the enzymatic activities of fungi were higher than those of bacteria. Our results also found that none of the organisms studied were able to degrade all the components of the cellulose and it is therefore suggested that a combination of bacteria and/or fungi with various enzymatic activities be used to obtain high total cellulolytic activity. This study gives an overview of the potential microorganism that could be used for cellulose degradation in various biotechnological applications and for sustainable agricultural waste treatment.

  7. Assessment of cellulolytic microorganisms in soils of Nevados Park, Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lizeth Manuela Avellaneda-Torres

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available A systematized survey was conducted to find soil-borne microbes that degrade cellulose in soils from unique ecosystems, such as the Superpáramo, Páramo, and the High Andean Forest in the Nevados National Natural Park (NNNP, Colombia. These high mountain ecosystems represent extreme environments, such as high levels of solar radiation, low atmospheric pressure, and extreme daily changes in temperature. Cellulolytic activity of the microorganisms was evaluated using qualitative tests, such as growth in selective media followed by staining with congo red and iodine, and quantitative tests to determine the activity of endoglucanase, β-glucosidase, exoglucanase, and total cellulase. Microorganisms were identified using molecular markers, such as the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS of ribosomal DNA for fungi. Multivariate statistical analysis (MVA was used to select microorganisms with high cellulolytic capacity. A total of 108 microorganisms were isolated from the soils and, in general, the enzymatic activities of fungi were higher than those of bacteria. Our results also found that none of the organisms studied were able to degrade all the components of the cellulose and it is therefore suggested that a combination of bacteria and/or fungi with various enzymatic activities be used to obtain high total cellulolytic activity. This study gives an overview of the potential microorganism that could be used for cellulose degradation in various biotechnological applications and for sustainable agricultural waste treatment.

  8. Mitigation of Membrane Biofouling in MBR Using a Cellulolytic Bacterium, Undibacterium sp. DM-1, Isolated from Activated Sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahm, Chang Hyun; Lee, Seonki; Lee, Sang Hyun; Lee, Kibaek; Lee, Jaewoo; Kwon, Hyeokpil; Choo, Kwang-Ho; Lee, Jung-Kee; Jang, Jae Young; Lee, Chung-Hak; Park, Pyung-Kyu

    2017-03-28

    Biofilm formation on the membrane surface results in the loss of permeability in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment. Studies have revealed that cellulose is not only produced by a number of bacterial species but also plays a key role during formation of their biofilm. Hence, in this study, cellulase was introduced to a MBR as a cellulose-induced biofilm control strategy. For practical application of cellulase to MBR, a cellulolytic ( i.e ., cellulase-producing) bacterium, Undibacterium sp. DM-1, was isolated from a lab-scale MBR for wastewater treatment. Prior to its application to MBR, it was confirmed that the cell-free supernatant of DM-1 was capable of inhibiting biofilm formation and of detaching the mature biofilm of activated sludge and cellulose-producing bacteria. This suggested that cellulase could be an effective anti-biofouling agent for MBRs used in wastewater treatment. Undibacterium sp. DM-1-entrapping beads ( i.e ., cellulolytic-beads) were applied to a continuous MBR to mitigate membrane biofouling 2.2-fold, compared with an MBR with vacant-beads as a control. Subsequent analysis of the cellulose content in the biofilm formed on the membrane surface revealed that this mitigation was associated with an approximately 30% reduction in cellulose by cellulolytic-beads in MBR.

  9. Suite of Activity-Based Probes for Cellulose-Degrading Enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chauvigne-Hines, Lacie M.; Anderson, Lindsey N.; Weaver, Holly M.; Brown, Joseph N.; Koech, Phillip K.; Nicora, Carrie D.; Hofstad, Beth A.; Smith, Richard D.; Wilkins, Michael J.; Callister, Stephen J.; Wright, Aaron T.

    2012-12-19

    Microbial glycoside hydrolases play a dominant role in the biochemical conversion of cellulosic biomass to high-value biofuels. Anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria are capable of producing multicomplex catalytic subunits containing cell-adherent cellulases, hemicellulases, xylanases, and other glycoside hydrolases to facilitate the degradation of highly recalcitrant cellulose and other related plant cell wall polysaccharides. Clostridium thermocellum is a cellulosome producing bacterium that couples rapid reproduction rates to highly efficient degradation of crystalline cellulose. Herein, we have developed and applied a suite of difluoromethylphenyl aglycone, N-halogenated glycosylamine, and 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglycoside activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) probes to the direct labeling of the C. thermocellum cellulosomal secretome. These activity-based probes (ABPs) were synthesized with alkynes to harness the utility and multimodal possibilities of click chemistry, and to increase enzyme active site inclusion for LC-MS analysis. We directly analyzed ABP-labeled and unlabeled global MS data, revealing ABP selectivity for glycoside hydrolase (GH) enzymes in addition to a large collection of integral cellulosome-containing proteins. By identifying reactivity and selectivity profiles for each ABP, we demonstrate our ability to widely profile the functional cellulose degrading machinery of the bacterium. Derivatization of the ABPs, including reactive groups, acetylation of the glycoside binding groups, and mono- and disaccharide binding groups, resulted in considerable variability in protein labeling. Our probe suite is applicable to aerobic and anaerobic cellulose degrading systems, and facilitates a greater understanding of the organismal role associated within biofuel development.

  10. Development of a commercial enzymes system for lignocellulosic biomass saccharification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Manoj

    2012-12-20

    DSM Innovation Inc., in its four year effort was able to evaluate and develop its in-house DSM fungal cellulolytic enzymes system to reach enzyme efficiency mandates set by DoE Biomass program MYPP goals. DSM enzyme cocktail is uniquely active at high temperature and acidic pH, offering many benefits and product differentiation in 2G bioethanol production. Under this project, strain and process development, ratio optimization of enzymes, protein and genetic engineering has led to multitudes of improvement in productivity and efficiency making development of a commercial enzyme system for lignocellulosic biomass saccharification viable. DSM is continuing further improvement by additional biodiversity screening, protein engineering and overexpression of enzymes to continue to further lower the cost of enzymes for saccharification of biomass.

  11. Complete genome of the cellulolytic thermophile Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B provides insights into its ecophysiological and evolutionary adaptations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barabote, Ravi D.; Xie, Gary; Leu, David H.; Normand, Philippe; Necsulea, Anamaria; Daubin, Vincent; Médigue, Claudine; Adney, William S.; Xu, Xin Clare; Lapidus, Alla; Parales, Rebecca E.; Detter, Chris; Pujic, Petar; Bruce, David; Lavire, Celine; Challacombe, Jean F.; Brettin, Thomas S.; Berry, Alison M.

    2009-01-01

    We present here the complete 2.4-Mb genome of the cellulolytic actinobacterial thermophile Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B. New secreted glycoside hydrolases and carbohydrate esterases were identified in the genome, revealing a diverse biomass-degrading enzyme repertoire far greater than previously characterized and elevating the industrial value of this organism. A sizable fraction of these hydrolytic enzymes break down plant cell walls, and the remaining either degrade components in fungal cell walls or metabolize storage carbohydrates such as glycogen and trehalose, implicating the relative importance of these different carbon sources. Several of the A. cellulolyticus secreted cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes are fused to multiple tandemly arranged carbohydrate binding modules (CBM), from families 2 and 3. For the most part, thermophilic patterns in the genome and proteome of A. cellulolyticus were weak, which may be reflective of the recent evolutionary history of A. cellulolyticus since its divergence from its closest phylogenetic neighbor Frankia, a mesophilic plant endosymbiont and soil dweller. However, ribosomal proteins and noncoding RNAs (rRNA and tRNAs) in A. cellulolyticus showed thermophilic traits suggesting the importance of adaptation of cellular translational machinery to environmental temperature. Elevated occurrence of IVYWREL amino acids in A. cellulolyticus orthologs compared to mesophiles and inverse preferences for G and A at the first and third codon positions also point to its ongoing thermoadaptation. Additional interesting features in the genome of this cellulolytic, hot-springs-dwelling prokaryote include a low occurrence of pseudogenes or mobile genetic elements, an unexpected complement of flagellar genes, and the presence of three laterally acquired genomic islands of likely ecophysiological value. PMID:19270083

  12. Does cypermethrin affect enzyme activity, respiration rate and walking behavior of the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais)?

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Ronnie Von Santos Veloso; Eliseu José G.Pereira; Raul Narciso C.Guedes; Maria Goreti A.Oliveira

    2013-01-01

    Insecticides cause a range of sub-lethal effects on targeted insects,which are frequently detrimental to them.However,targeted insects are able to cope with insecticides within sub-lethal ranges,which vary with their susceptibility.Here we assessed the response of three strains of the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera:Curculionidae) to sub-lethal exposure to the pyrethoid insecticide cypermethrin.We expected enzyme induction associated with cypermethrin resistance since it would aid the resistant insects in surviving such exposure.Lower respiration rate and lower activity were also expected in insecticide-resistant insects since these traits are also likely to favor survivorship under insecticide exposure.Curiously though,cypermethrin did not affect activity of digestive and energy metabolism enzymes,and even reduced the activity of some enzymes (particularly for cellulase and cysteine-proteinase activity in this case).There was strain variation in response,which may be (partially) related to insecticide resistance in some strains.Sub-lethal exposure to cypermethrin depressed proteolytic and mainly cellulolytic activity in the exposed insects,which is likely to impair their fitness.However,such exposure did not affect respiration rate and walking behavior of the insects (except for the susceptible strain where walking activity was reduced).Walking activity varies with strain and may minimize insecticide exposure,which should be a concern,particularly if associated with (physiological) insecticide resistance.

  13. Isolation of Cellulolytic Bacteria and Characterization of the Enzyme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nisa Rachmania

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Four of cellulolitic bacteria isolates had beencharacterized. The determination of cellulase activity was conducted at the highest production time, using crudeenzymes with the modification of Miller methods (1959 on pure cellulose substrates such as CMC (Carboxymethylcellulose, Avicel and Filter paper Whatman No. 1 as well as agriculture waste such as rice straw, corn cob and bananapeel. Cellulase from C4-4, C5-1, C5-3 and C11-1 showed optimum activity at pH 5, 70°C, pH 3.5, 90°C, pH 5, 80°Cand pH 8, 70°C, respectively. Avicel is a appropriate substrate for C4-4 cellulase whereas CMC for the other three.C11-1 cellulase has the highest cellulase enzyme activity on rice straw substrate whereas C4-4 cellulase on banana peelsubstrates. C5-1 and C5-3 cellulase have relatively low cellulase activities in degrading substrates of agriculture waste.However, isolates of C5-1 and C5-3 have high cellulase activities on banana peel substrates.

  14. Chemical Pretreatment-Independent Saccharifications of Xylan and Cellulose of Rice Straw by Bacterial Weak Lignin-Binding Xylanolytic and Cellulolytic Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teeravivattanakit, Thitiporn; Baramee, Sirilak; Phitsuwan, Paripok; Sornyotha, Somphit; Waeonukul, Rattiya; Pason, Patthra; Tachaapaikoon, Chakrit; Poomputsa, Kanokwan; Kosugi, Akihiko; Sakka, Kazuo; Ratanakhanokchai, Khanok

    2017-11-15

    Complete utilization of carbohydrate fractions is one of the prerequisites for obtaining economically favorable lignocellulosic biomass conversion. This study shows that xylan in untreated rice straw was saccharified to xylose in one step without chemical pretreatment, yielding 58.2% of the theoretically maximum value by Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6 PcAxy43A, a weak lignin-binding trifunctional xylanolytic enzyme, endoxylanase/β-xylosidase/arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolase. Moreover, xylose yield from untreated rice straw was enhanced to 78.9% by adding endoxylanases PcXyn10C and PcXyn11A from the same bacterium, resulting in improvement of cellulose accessibility to cellulolytic enzyme. After autoclaving the xylanolytic enzyme-treated rice straw, it was subjected to subsequent saccharification by a combination of the Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CtCel9R and Thermoanaerobacter brockii β-glucosidase TbCglT, yielding 88.5% of the maximum glucose yield, which was higher than the glucose yield obtained from ammonia-treated rice straw saccharification (59.6%). Moreover, this work presents a new environment-friendly xylanolytic enzyme pretreatment for beneficial hydrolysis of xylan in various agricultural residues, such as rice straw and corn hull. It not only could improve cellulose saccharification but also produced xylose, leading to an improvement of the overall fermentable sugar yields without chemical pretreatment. IMPORTANCE Ongoing research is focused on improving "green" pretreatment technologies in order to reduce energy demands and environmental impact and to develop an economically feasible biorefinery. The present study showed that PcAxy43A, a weak lignin-binding trifunctional xylanolytic enzyme, endoxylanase/β-xylosidase/arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolase from P. curdlanolyticus B-6, was capable of conversion of xylan in lignocellulosic biomass such as untreated rice straw to xylose in one step without chemical pretreatment. It

  15. Optimization of parameters for enhanced oil recovery from enzyme treated wild apricot kernels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajaram, Mahatre R; Kumbhar, Baburao K; Singh, Anupama; Lohani, Umesh Chandra; Shahi, Navin C

    2012-08-01

    Present investigation was undertaken with the overall objective of optimizing the enzymatic parameters i.e. moisture content during hydrolysis, enzyme concentration, enzyme ratio and incubation period on wild apricot kernel processing for better oil extractability and increased oil recovery. Response surface methodology was adopted in the experimental design. A central composite rotatable design of four variables at five levels was chosen. The parameters and their range for the experiments were moisture content during hydrolysis (20-32%, w.b.), enzyme concentration (12-16% v/w of sample), combination of pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme i.e. enzyme ratio (30:70-70:30) and incubation period (12-16 h). Aspergillus foetidus and Trichoderma viride was used for production of crude enzyme i.e. pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme respectively. A complete second order model for increased oil recovery as the function of enzymatic parameters fitted the data well. The best fit model for oil recovery was also developed. The effect of various parameters on increased oil recovery was determined at linear, quadric and interaction level. The increased oil recovery ranged from 0.14 to 2.53%. The corresponding conditions for maximum oil recovery were 23% (w.b.), 15 v/w of the sample, 60:40 (pectolytic:cellulolytic), 13 h. Results of the study indicated that incubation period during enzymatic hydrolysis is the most important factor affecting oil yield followed by enzyme ratio, moisture content and enzyme concentration in the decreasing order. Enzyme ratio, incubation period and moisture content had insignificant effect on oil recovery. Second order model for increased oil recovery as a function of enzymatic hydrolysis parameters predicted the data adequately.

  16. Composition of cellulase complex of Clostridium thermocellum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Golovchenko, N P; Chuvil' skaya, N A; Akimenko, V K

    1985-01-01

    It is thought that the anaerobic thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium C. thermocellum has the potential for direct industrial bioconversion of cellulose into ethanol. Therefore, much attention has been given to the study of the cellulolytic properties of the culture and to the characteristics of the cellulose complex, which is still not completely understood. Hence, the activity and location of various cellulolytic enzymes of C. thermocellum were determined. C. thermocellum has 6 known cellulolytic enzymes. Endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and exoglucosidase are extracellular enzymes (99-100 percent of the activity is located outside the cells) while cellulobiases, cellobiose phosphorylase and cellodextrine phosphorylase are inside the cells (80-90% of the activity). 25 references.

  17. Cellulase enzyme production during continuous culture growth of Sporotrichum (Chrysosporium) thermophile

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cossar, D; Canevascini, G

    1986-07-01

    The cellulolytic fungus Sporotrichum (Chrysosporium) thermophile produces an extracellular cellobiose dehydrogenase during batch culture on cellulose or cellobiose. In chemostat culture at pH 5.6 on cellobiose this enzyme was produced in parallel with endo-cellulase. At pH 5.0 in continuous or fed-batch culture such a pattern was not evident. At constant growth rate in a chemostat with varying pH, activity of these enzymes was found to be poorly correlated. Thus the induction of cellobiose dehydrogenase shows a dependence on pH and cellobiose concentration which is different to that for endo-cellulase. The natural inducer of these enzymes and the role of cellubiose dehydrogenase remain to be elucidated.

  18. The mutagenic action of UV-light irradiation on aspergillus terreus in relation to antibacterial activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouda, S.M.

    2009-01-01

    Four strains of cellulolytic fungi (i.e Penicillium oxalicum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus and Trichoderma longibrachiatum) were tested for the production of cellulolytic enzymes and antibiotic action. these fungi were cultured on Czapek Dox's media with different cellulosic substrates. A. terreus. exhibited the highest cellulolytic activity and the highest level of anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. and Escherichia Coli, Ultraviolet light as a mutagenic treatment for A.terreus was investigated. Two treated isolates U.30.12 and U.60.10 were obtained after the treatment at dose 30 and 60 min., respectively with a higher antibiotic activity in comparison with the wild isolate. A compound of fifteen carbon atom of terrecylic acid was isolated from ethyl acetate extract using spectroscopic analysis

  19. Linking Hydrolysis Performance to Trichoderma reesei Cellulolytic Enzyme Profile

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lehmann, Linda Olkjær; Petersen, Nanna; I. Jørgensen, Christian

    2016-01-01

    Trichoderma reesei expresses a large number of enzymes involved in lignocellulose hydrolysis and the mechanism of how these enzymes work together is too complex to study by traditional methods, e.g. by spiking with single enzymes and monitoring hydrolysis performance. In this study a multivariate...... approach, partial least squares regression, was used to see if it could help explain the correlation between enzyme profile and hydrolysis performance. Diverse enzyme mixtures were produced by Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30 by exploiting various fermentation conditions and used for hydrolysis of washed...

  20. Compounds Released from Biomass Deconstruction: Understanding Their Effect on Cellulose Enzyme Hydrolysis and Their Biological Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djioleu, Angele Mezindjou

    The effect of compounds produced during biomass pretreatment on cellulolytic enzyme was investigated. Liquid prehydrolyzates were prepared by pretreating switchgrass using 24 combinations of temperature, time, and sulfuric acid concentration based on a full factorial design. Temperature was varied from 140°C to 180°C; time ranged from 10 to 40 min; and the sulfuric acid concentrations were 0.5% or 1% (v/v). Identified products in the prehydrolyzates included xylose, glucose, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural, acetic acid, formic acid, and phenolic compounds at concentration ranging from 0 to 21.4 g/L. Pretreatment conditions significantly affected the concentrations of compounds detected in prehydrolyzates. When assayed in the presence of switchgrass prehydrolyzates against model substrates, activities of cellulase, betaglucosidase, and exoglucanase, were significantly reduced by at least 16%, 31.8%, and 57.8%, respectively, as compared to the control. A strong positive correlation between inhibition of betaglucosidase and concentration of glucose, acetic acid, and furans in prehydrolyzate was established. Exoglucanase inhibition correlated with the presence of phenolic compounds and acetic acid. The prehydrolyzate, prepared at 160°C, 30 min, and 1% acid, was fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) into six fractions; the inhibition effect of these fractions on betaglucosidase and exoglucanase was determined. The initial hydrolysis rate of cellobiose by betaglucosidase was significantly reduced by the CPC sugar-rich fraction; however, exoglucanase was deactivated by the CPC phenolic-rich fraction. Finally, biological activities of water-extracted compounds from sweetgum bark and their effect on cellulase was investigated. It was determined that 12% of solid content of the bark extract could be accounted by phenolic compounds with gallic acid identified as the most concentrated phytochemical. Sweetgum bark extract inhibited Staphylococcus

  1. Tracking dynamics of plant biomass composting by changes in substrate structure, microbial community, and enzyme activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Understanding the dynamics of the microbial communities that, along with their secreted enzymes, are involved in the natural process of biomass composting may hold the key to breaking the major bottleneck in biomass-to-biofuels conversion technology, which is the still-costly deconstruction of polymeric biomass carbohydrates to fermentable sugars. However, the complexity of both the structure of plant biomass and its counterpart microbial degradation communities makes it difficult to investigate the composting process. Results In this study, a composter was set up with a mix of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) wood-chips and mown lawn grass clippings (85:15 in dry-weight) and used as a model system. The microbial rDNA abundance data obtained from analyzing weekly-withdrawn composted samples suggested population-shifts from bacteria-dominated to fungus-dominated communities. Further analyses by an array of optical microscopic, transcriptional and enzyme-activity techniques yielded correlated results, suggesting that such population shifts occurred along with early removal of hemicellulose followed by attack on the consequently uncovered cellulose as the composting progressed. Conclusion The observed shifts in dominance by representative microbial groups, along with the observed different patterns in the gene expression and enzymatic activities between cellulases, hemicellulases, and ligninases during the composting process, provide new perspectives for biomass-derived biotechnology such as consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) and solid-state fermentation for the production of cellulolytic enzymes and biofuels. PMID:22490508

  2. Production of Cellulolytic and Hemicellulolytic Enzymes From Aureobasidium pulluans on Solid State Fermentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leite, Rodrigo Simões Ribeiro; Bocchini, Daniela Alonso; da Silva Martins, Eduardo; Silva, Dênis; Gomes, Eleni; da Silva, Roberto

    This article investigates a strain of the yeast Aureobasidium pullulans for cellulase and hemicellulase production in solid state fermentation. Among the substrates analyzed, the wheat bran culture presented the highest enzymatic production (1.05 U/mL endoglucanase, 1.3 U/mL β-glucosidase, and 5.0 U/mL xylanase). Avicelase activity was not detected. The optimum pH and temperature for xylanase, endoglucanase and β-glucosidase were 5.0 and 50, 4.5 and 60, 4.0 and 75°C, respectively. These enzymes remained stable between a wide range of pH. The β-glucosidase was the most thermostable enzyme remaining 100% active when incubated at 75°C for 1 h.

  3. Use of Cellulolytic Marine Bacteria for Enzymatic Pretreatment in Microalgal Biogas Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Camilo; Hidalgo, Catalina; Zapata, Manuel; Jeison, David; Riquelme, Carlos

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we designed and evaluated a microalgal pretreatment method using cellulolytic bacteria that naturally degrades microalgae in their native habitat. Bacterial strains were isolated from each of two mollusk species in a medium containing 1% carboxymethyl cellulose agar. We selected nine bacterial strains that had endoglucanase activity: five strains from Mytilus chilensis, a Chilean mussel, and four strains from Mesodesma donacium, a clam found in the Southern Pacific. These strains were identified phylogenetically as belonging to the genera Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, and Raoultella. The cellulase-producing capacities of these strains were characterized, and the degradation of cell walls in Botryococcus braunii and Nannochloropsis gaditana was tested with “whole-cell” cellulolytic experiments. Aeromonas bivalvium MA2, Raoultella ornithinolytica MA5, and Aeromonas salmonicida MC25 degraded B. braunii, and R. ornithinolytica MC3 and MA5 degraded N. gaditana. In addition, N. gaditana was pretreated with R. ornithinolytica strains MC3 and MA5 and was then subjected to an anaerobic digestion process, which increased the yield of methane by 140.32% and 158.68%, respectively, over that from nonpretreated microalgae. Therefore, a “whole-cell” cellulolytic pretreatment can increase the performance and efficiency of biogas production. PMID:24795376

  4. Isolation of aerobic cultivable cellulolytic bacteria from different regions of the gastrointestinal tract of giant land snail Achatina fulica

    OpenAIRE

    Guilherme L. Pinheiro; Guilherme L. Pinheiro; Raquel eCorrea; Raquel eSoares; Alexander eCardoso; Catia eChaia; Mayssa M Clementino; Eloi eGarcia; Wanderley eDe Souza; Wanderley eDe Souza; Susana eFrases; Susana eFrases

    2015-01-01

    The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulases is one of the major limiting steps in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to yield bioethanol. To overcome this hindrance, significant efforts are underway to identify novel cellulases. The snail Achatina fulica is a gastropod with high cellulolytic activity, mainly due to the abundance of glycoside hydrolases produced by both the animal and its resident microbiota. In this study, we partially assessed the cellulolytic bacterial divers...

  5. Isolation of aerobic cultivable cellulolytic bacteria from different regions of the gastrointestinal tract of giant land snail Achatina fulica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme L. Pinheiro

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulases is one of the major limiting steps in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to yield bioethanol. To overcome this hindrance, significant efforts are underway to identify novel cellulases. The snail Achatina fulica is a gastropod with high cellulolytic activity, mainly due to the abundance of glycoside hydrolases produced by both the animal and its resident microbiota. In this study, we partially assessed the cellulolytic bacterial diversity inside the gastrointestinal tract of A. fulica by culture-dependent methods and evaluated the hydrolytic repertoire of the isolates. Forty bacterial isolates were recovered from distinct segments of the snail gut and identified to the genus level by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Additional phenotypic characterization was performed using biochemical tests provided by the Vitek2 identification system. The overall enzymatic repertoire of the isolated strains was investigated by enzymatic plate assays, containing the following substrates: powdered sugarcane bagasse, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC, p-nitrophenyl-b-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG, p-nitrophenyl-b-D-cellobioside (pNPC, 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-glucopyranoside (MUG, 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-cellobioside (MUC and 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-xylopyranoside (MUX. Our results indicate that the snail Achatina fulica is an attractive source of cultivable bacteria that showed to be valuable resources for the production of different types of biomass-degrading enzymes.

  6. Isolation of aerobic cultivable cellulolytic bacteria from different regions of the gastrointestinal tract of giant land snail Achatina fulica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro, Guilherme L; Correa, Raquel F; Cunha, Raquel S; Cardoso, Alexander M; Chaia, Catia; Clementino, Maysa M; Garcia, Eloi S; de Souza, Wanderley; Frasés, Susana

    2015-01-01

    The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulases is one of the major limiting steps in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to yield bioethanol. To overcome this hindrance, significant efforts are underway to identify novel cellulases. The snail Achatina fulica is a gastropod with high cellulolytic activity, mainly due to the abundance of glycoside hydrolases produced by both the animal and its resident microbiota. In this study, we partially assessed the cellulolytic aerobic bacterial diversity inside the gastrointestinal tract of A. fulica by culture-dependent methods and evaluated the hydrolytic repertoire of the isolates. Forty bacterial isolates were recovered from distinct segments of the snail gut and identified to the genus level by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Additional phenotypic characterization was performed using biochemical tests provided by the Vitek2 identification system. The overall enzymatic repertoire of the isolated strains was investigated by enzymatic plate assays, containing the following substrates: powdered sugarcane bagasse, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG), p-nitrophenyl-β-D-cellobioside (pNPC), 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (MUG), 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-cellobioside (MUC), and 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-xylopyranoside (MUX). Our results indicate that the snail A. fulica is an attractive source of cultivable bacteria that showed to be valuable resources for the production of different types of biomass-degrading enzymes.

  7. Tracking dynamics of plant biomass composting by changes in substrate structure, microbial community, and enzyme activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Hui

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the dynamics of the microbial communities that, along with their secreted enzymes, are involved in the natural process of biomass composting may hold the key to breaking the major bottleneck in biomass-to-biofuels conversion technology, which is the still-costly deconstruction of polymeric biomass carbohydrates to fermentable sugars. However, the complexity of both the structure of plant biomass and its counterpart microbial degradation communities makes it difficult to investigate the composting process. Results In this study, a composter was set up with a mix of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera wood-chips and mown lawn grass clippings (85:15 in dry-weight and used as a model system. The microbial rDNA abundance data obtained from analyzing weekly-withdrawn composted samples suggested population-shifts from bacteria-dominated to fungus-dominated communities. Further analyses by an array of optical microscopic, transcriptional and enzyme-activity techniques yielded correlated results, suggesting that such population shifts occurred along with early removal of hemicellulose followed by attack on the consequently uncovered cellulose as the composting progressed. Conclusion The observed shifts in dominance by representative microbial groups, along with the observed different patterns in the gene expression and enzymatic activities between cellulases, hemicellulases, and ligninases during the composting process, provide new perspectives for biomass-derived biotechnology such as consolidated bioprocessing (CBP and solid-state fermentation for the production of cellulolytic enzymes and biofuels.

  8. Impact of enzyme loading on the efficacy and recovery of cellulolytic enzymes immobilized on enzymogel nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samaratunga, Ashani; Kudina, Olena; Nahar, Nurun; Zakharchenko, Andrey; Minko, Sergiy; Voronov, Andriy; Pryor, Scott W

    2015-03-01

    Cellulase and β-glucosidase were adsorbed on a polyacrylic acid polymer brush grafted on silica nanoparticles to produce enzymogels as a form of enzyme immobilization. Enzyme loading on the enzymogels was increased to a saturation level of approximately 110 μg (protein) mg(-1) (particle) for each enzyme. Enzymogels with varied enzyme loadings were then used to determine the impact on hydrolysis rate and enzyme recovery. Soluble sugar concentrations during the hydrolysis of filter paper and Solka-Floc with the enzymogels were 45 and 53%, respectively, of concentrations when using free cellulase. β-Glucosidase enzymogels showed lower performance; hydrolyzate glucose concentrations were just 38% of those using free enzymes. Increasing enzyme loading on the enzymogels did not reduce net efficacy for cellulase and improved efficacy for β-glucosidase. The use of free cellulases and cellulase enzymogels resulted in hydrolyzates with different proportions of cellobiose and glucose, suggesting differential attachment or efficacy of endoglucanases, exoglucanases, and β-glucosidases present in cellulase mixtures. When loading β-glucosidase individually, higher enzyme loadings on the enzymogels produced higher hydrolyzate glucose concentrations. Approximately 96% of cellulase and 66 % of β-glucosidase were recovered on the enzymogels, while enzyme loading level did not impact recovery for either enzyme.

  9. Cellulose hydrolysis by fungi. 1. Screening of cellulolytic strains

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roussos, S.; Raimbault, M. (Laboratoire de Microbiologie ORSTOM, Centre de Recherche IRCHA, 91 - Vert-le-Petit (France))

    Trichoderma harzianum was selected from 30 strains of cellulolytic fungi with the aim of producing cellulases by solid state fermentation of lignocellulosic substrates. Special attention was paid to cellulase production (i. e. carboxymethylcellulase and filter paper activity), apical growth and conidia production. Under the conditions of our experiments, T. harzianum exhibited the highest cellulasic activities with 1,315 IU/I of carboxymethyl cellulose and 80 IU/l of filter paper activity. Apical growth (1 mm/h) and yield of conidial production (3.25 X 10/sup 10/ conidia/g of substrate dry weight) were also valuable characteristics of this strain in the use of solid state fermentation.

  10. Hyperthermostable cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes and their biotechnological applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tipparat Hongpattarakere

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available Hyperthermal cellulases and hemicellulases have been intensively studied due to their highly potential applications at extreme temperatures, which mimic industrial processes involving cellulose and hemicellulose degradation. More than 50 species of hyperthermophiles have been isolated, many of which possess hyperthermal enzymes required for hydrolyzing cellulose and hemicelluloses. Endoglucanases, exoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases, xylanases, β-glucosidase and β-galactosidase, which are produced by the hyperthermophiles, are resistant to boiling temperature. The characteristics of these enzymes and the ability to maintain their functional integrity at high temperature as well as their biotechnological application are discussed.

  11. Effect of two fungicides, benlate and phenyl mercury acetate, on a population of cellulolytic fungi in soil and in pure culture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, R.N.; Long, P.A.

    1980-01-01

    Cellulolytic fungi were successfully isolated from an arable loam type soil using the polythene rod technique and the screened substrate technique. Phenyl mercury acetate (PMA) applied to the soil at 100 ppm severely reduced the incidence of many cellulolytic fungi normally present, with a concomitant increase in the incidence of Penicillium spp and Trichoderma lignorum. The application of benlate at 100 ppm had little effect other than to increase the incidence of Doratomyces mircosporus, Dreschlera sp. and Papulospora sp. Both benlate and PMA were much more toxic when examined in-vitro in cellulose agar than when added to soil. Nevertheless, the incidence of cellulolytic isolates from soil reflected the relative sensitivity of the isolates to the respective fungicides in-vitro. The activity of benlate in-vitro decreased with an increase in glucose concentration in the media, but the activity of PMA was independent of glucose concentration.

  12. Assessment of cellulolytic microorganisms in soils of Nevados Park, Colombia

    OpenAIRE

    Avellaneda-Torres,Lizeth Manuela; Pulido,Claudia Patricia Guevara; Rojas,Esperanza Torres

    2014-01-01

    A systematized survey was conducted to find soil-borne microbes that degrade cellulose in soils from unique ecosystems, such as the Superpáramo, Páramo, and the High Andean Forest in the Nevados National Natural Park (NNNP), Colombia. These high mountain ecosystems represent extreme environments, such as high levels of solar radiation, low atmospheric pressure, and extreme daily changes in temperature. Cellulolytic activity of the microorganisms was evaluated using qualitative tests, such as ...

  13. Overexpression of an exotic thermotolerant β-glucosidase in trichoderma reesei and its significant increase in cellulolytic activity and saccharification of barley straw

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dashtban Mehdi

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Trichoderma reesei is a widely used industrial strain for cellulase production, but its low yield of β-glucosidase has prevented its industrial value. In the hydrolysis process of cellulolytic residues by T. reesei, a disaccharide known as cellobiose is produced and accumulates, which inhibits further cellulases production. This problem can be solved by adding β-glucosidase, which hydrolyzes cellobiose to glucose for fermentation. It is, therefore, of high vvalue to construct T. reesei strains which can produce sufficient β-glucosidase and other hydrolytic enzymes, especially when those enzymes are capable of tolerating extreme conditions such as high temperature and acidic or alkali pH. Results We successfully engineered a thermostable β-glucosidase gene from the fungus Periconia sp. into the genome of T. reesei QM9414 strain. The engineered T. reesei strain showed about 10.5-fold (23.9 IU/mg higher β-glucosidase activity compared to the parent strain (2.2 IU/mg after 24 h of incubation. The transformants also showed very high total cellulase activity (about 39.0 FPU/mg at 24 h of incubation whereas the parent strain almost did not show any total cellulase activity at 24 h of incubation. The recombinant β-glucosidase showed to be thermotolerant and remains fully active after two-hour incubation at temperatures as high as 60°C. Additionally, it showed to be active at a wide pH range and maintains about 88% of its maximal activity after four-hour incubation at 25°C in a pH range from 3.0 to 9.0. Enzymatic hydrolysis assay using untreated, NaOH, or Organosolv pretreated barley straw as well as microcrystalline cellulose showed that the transformed T. reesei strains released more reducing sugars compared to the parental strain. Conclusions The recombinant T. reesei overexpressing Periconia sp. β-glucosidase in this study showed higher β-glucosidase and total cellulase activities within a shorter incubation

  14. Optimisation of synergistic biomass-degrading enzyme systems for efficient rice straw hydrolysis using an experimental mixture design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suwannarangsee, Surisa; Bunterngsook, Benjarat; Arnthong, Jantima; Paemanee, Atchara; Thamchaipenet, Arinthip; Eurwilaichitr, Lily; Laosiripojana, Navadol; Champreda, Verawat

    2012-09-01

    Synergistic enzyme system for the hydrolysis of alkali-pretreated rice straw was optimised based on the synergy of crude fungal enzyme extracts with a commercial cellulase (Celluclast™). Among 13 enzyme extracts, the enzyme preparation from Aspergillus aculeatus BCC 199 exhibited the highest level of synergy with Celluclast™. This synergy was based on the complementary cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities of the BCC 199 enzyme extract. A mixture design was used to optimise the ternary enzyme complex based on the synergistic enzyme mixture with Bacillus subtilis expansin. Using the full cubic model, the optimal formulation of the enzyme mixture was predicted to the percentage of Celluclast™: BCC 199: expansin=41.4:37.0:21.6, which produced 769 mg reducing sugar/g biomass using 2.82 FPU/g enzymes. This work demonstrated the use of a systematic approach for the design and optimisation of a synergistic enzyme mixture of fungal enzymes and expansin for lignocellulosic degradation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Screening for cellulose and hemicellulose degrading enzymes from the fungal genus Ulocladium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Mads; Hollensted, Morten; Lange, L.

    2009-01-01

    The fungal genus Ulocladium consists mostly of saprotrophic species and can readily be isolated from dead vegetation, rotten wood. paper, textiles and other cellulose containing materials. Thus, they must produce cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes. In this study fifty Ulocladium strains from...

  16. Isolation and characterization of efficient cellulolytic fungi from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Isolation and characterization of efficient cellulolytic fungi from degraded wood and industrial samples. Abreham Bekele, Tariku Abena, Adane Habteyohannes, Addisalem Nugissie, Fitala Gudeta, Tigist Getie, Musin Kelel, Admas Berhanu ...

  17. Enrichment and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of Giant African snail, Achatina fulica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawar, Kiran D; Dar, Mudasir A; Rajput, Bharati P; Kulkarni, Girish J

    2015-02-01

    The cellulolytic bacterial community structure in gastrointestinal (GI) tract of Achatina fulica was studied using culture-independent and -dependent methods by enrichment in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Culture-dependent method indicated that GI tract of snail was dominated by Enterobacteriaceae members. When tested for cellulase activities, all isolates obtained by culture-dependent method showed both or either of CMCase or avicelase activity. Isolate identified as Citrobacter freundii showed highest CMCase and medium avicelase activity. Sequencing of clones from the 16S rRNA gene clone library identified ten operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which were affiliated to Enterobacteriaceae of phylum Gammaproteobacteria. Of these ten OTUs, eight OTUs closely matched with Enterobacter and Klebsiella genera. The most abundant OTU allied to Klebsiella oxytoca accounted for 70 % of the total sequences. The members of Klebsiella and Enterobacter were observed by both methods indicating their dominance among the cellulolytic bacterial community in the GI tract of the snail.

  18. Measuring the Enzyme Activity of Arabidopsis Deubiquitylating Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalinowska, Kamila; Nagel, Marie-Kristin; Isono, Erika

    2016-01-01

    Deubiquitylating enzymes, or DUBs, are important regulators of ubiquitin homeostasis and substrate stability, though the molecular mechanisms of most of the DUBs in plants are not yet understood. As different ubiquitin chain types are implicated in different biological pathways, it is important to analyze the enzyme characteristic for studying a DUB. Quantitative analysis of DUB activity is also important to determine enzyme kinetics and the influence of DUB binding proteins on the enzyme activity. Here, we show methods to analyze DUB activity using immunodetection, Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining, and fluorescence measurement that can be useful for understanding the basic characteristic of DUBs.

  19. Effects of isobutyrate supplementation on ruminal microflora, rumen enzyme activities and methane emissions in Simmental steers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, C; Liu, Q; Zhang, Y L; Pei, C X; Zhang, S L; Wang, Y X; Yang, W Z; Bai, Y S; Shi, Z G; Liu, X N

    2015-02-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of isobutyrate supplementation on rumen microflora, enzyme activities and methane emissions in Simmental steers consuming a corn stover-based diet. Eight ruminally cannulated Simmental steers were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square experiment. The treatments were control (without isobutyrate), low isobutyrate (LIB), moderate isobutyrate (MIB) and high isobutyrate (HIB) with 8.4, 16.8 and 25.2 g isobutyrate per steer per day respectively. Isobutyrate was hand-mixed into the concentrate portion. Diet consisted of 60% corn stover and 40% concentrate [dry matter (DM) basis]. Dry matter intake (averaged 9 kg/day) was restricted to a maximum of 90% of ad libitum intake. Population of total bacteria, cellulolytic bacteria and anaerobic fungi were linearly increased, whereas that of protozoa and total methanogens was linearly reduced with increasing isobutyrate supplementation. Real-time PCR quantification of population of Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Fibrobacter succinogenes was linearly increased with increasing isobutyrate supplementation. Activities of carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase and β-glucosidase were linearly increased, whereas that of protease was linearly reduced. Methane production was linearly decreased with increasing isobutyrate supplementation. Effective degradabilities of cellulose and hemicellulose of corn stover were linearly increased, whereas that of crude protein in diet was linearly decreased with increasing isobutyrate supplementation. The present results indicate that isobutyrate supplemented improved microflora, rumen enzyme activities and methane emissions in steers. It was suggested that the isobutyrate stimulated the digestive micro-organisms or enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. In the experimental conditions of this trial, the optimum isobutyrate dose was approximately 16.8 g isobutyrate per steer per day. Journal of Animal

  20. Vertical zonation and seed germination indices of chromium resistant cellulolytic and nitrogen fixing bacteria from a chronically metal exposed land area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aslam, S.; Qazi, J.I.

    2014-01-01

    Twenty eight cellulolytic and 25 nitrogen fixing bacteria were isolated from 20, 40 and 60 cm depths of the chromium contaminated land area. The cellulolytic as well as nitrogen fixing microbial communities in soil profiles were dominated by genus Bacillus. More diverse nitrogen fixing bacterial isolates belonging to different genera Paenibacillus, Corynebacterium and Pseudomonas were observed as compared to cellulolytic bacterial community. Majority of the cellulolytic bacteria were found inhabitants of 20 cm soil layer while 40 cm depth was the preferred zone for the nitrogen fixing bacteria. Screening of the bacterial isolates for chromium resistance showed that isolates designated as ASK15 and ASK16 were able to resist up to 1800 mg/l of chromium while the nitrogen fixing isolates which offered a maximum resistant level up to 1650 mg/l of chromium were ASNt10 and ASNS13. Nitrogen fixing isolates enhanced seed germination by 33% and expressed efficient nitrogenase activity up to 0.80 (C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ nmol/ml/hr). Growth promoting assay proved ASNt10 a potential isolate which produced 90 meu g/ml of indoleacetic acid (IAA). Though cellulolytic isolates did not affect seed germination, a significant influence on root length similar to that of ASNt10 and ASNS13 with nearly 5-fold increase in comparison with uninoculated control was observed. The isolates ASK15, ASK16 were identified as Bacillus cereus while ASNt10 and ASNS13 as Paenibacillus barcinonensis and Bacillus megaterium, respectively. (author)

  1. Isolation and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from termites gut (Cryptotermes sp.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peristiwati; Natamihardja, Y. S.; Herlini, H.

    2018-05-01

    The energy and environmental crises developed due to a huge amount of cellulosic materials are disposed of as “waste.” Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. The hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose and soluble sugars has thus become a subject of intense research. Termites are one of the most important soil insects that efficiently decompose lignocelluloses with the aid of their associated microbial symbionts to a simpler form of sugars. The steps of this study consisted of cellulose isolation, cellulolytic bacteria isolation and identification. Cellulose degrading bacteria from termite (Cryptotermes sp.) gut flora were isolated, screened and their identification was studied which showed halo zones due to CMC agar. Among 12 isolates of bacteria, six isolates were cellulolytic. MLC-A isolate had shown a maximum in a cellulolytic index (1.32). Each isolate was identified based on standard physical and biochemical tests. Three isolates were identified in the genus of Clostridium, one isolate be placed in the group of Mycobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae or Coryneform and the last one in the genus Proteus.

  2. Composition and microstructure alteration of triticale grain surface after processing by enzymes of cellulase complex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Kuznetsova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available It is found that the pericarp tissue of grain have considerable strength and stiffness, that has an adverse effect on quality of whole-grain bread. Thereby, there exists the need for preliminary chemical and biochemical processing of durable cell walls before industrial use. Increasingly used in the production of bread finds an artificial hybrid of the traditional grain crops of wheat and rye - triticale, grain which has high nutritional value. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of cellulose complex (Penicillium canescens enzymes on composition and microstructure alteration of triticale grain surface, for grain used in baking. Triticale grain was processed by cellulolytic enzyme preparations with different composition (producer is Penicillium canescens. During experiment it is found that triticale grain processing by enzymes of cellulase complex leads to an increase in the content of water-soluble pentosans by 36.3 - 39.2%. The total amount of low molecular sugars increased by 3.8 - 10.5 %. Studies show that under the influence of enzymes the microstructure of the triticale grain surface is changing. Microphotographs characterizing grain surface structure alteration in dynamic (every 2 hours during 10 hours of substrate hydrolysis are shown. It is found that the depth and direction of destruction process for non-starch polysaccharides of grain integument are determined by the composition of the enzyme complex preparation and duration of exposure. It is found, that xylanase involved in the modification of hemicelluloses fiber having both longitudinal and radial orientation. Hydrolysis of non-starch polysaccharides from grain shells led to increase of antioxidant activity. Ferulic acid was identified in alcoholic extract of triticale grain after enzymatic hydrolysis under the influence of complex preparation containing cellulase, xylanase and β-glucanase. Grain processing by independent enzymes containing in complex

  3. Isolation and Identification of cellulolytic bacteria from mangrove sediment in Bangka Island

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurniawan, A.; Prihanto, A. A.; Sari, S. P.; Febriyanti, D.; Kurniawan, A.; Sambah, A. B.; Asriani, E.

    2018-04-01

    Cellulolytic bacteria is bacteria which hydrolyze cellulose to reducing sugars. This research aims to obtain cellulolytic bacteria from the sediment of mangroves in Bangka island. Reasearch was conducted from March to August 2017. Sampling was conducted at Sungailiat, and Tukak Sadai, South of Bangka. Bacteria was isolated using 1% Carboxymetyl Cellulosa (CMC). The isolation resulted in four isolates from Sungailiat and nine isolates from Tukak Sadai. Total five isolates, namely Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus amyloliquefacien, Bacillus alvei, Bacillus coagulant were identified. The best isolates that produced cellulose was Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

  4. The complete genome sequence of Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 reveals a cellulolytic and metabolic specialist.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garret Suen

    Full Text Available Fibrobacter succinogenes is an important member of the rumen microbial community that converts plant biomass into nutrients usable by its host. This bacterium, which is also one of only two cultivated species in its phylum, is an efficient and prolific degrader of cellulose. Specifically, it has a particularly high activity against crystalline cellulose that requires close physical contact with this substrate. However, unlike other known cellulolytic microbes, it does not degrade cellulose using a cellulosome or by producing high extracellular titers of cellulase enzymes. To better understand the biology of F. succinogenes, we sequenced the genome of the type strain S85 to completion. A total of 3,085 open reading frames were predicted from its 3.84 Mbp genome. Analysis of sequences predicted to encode for carbohydrate-degrading enzymes revealed an unusually high number of genes that were classified into 49 different families of glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs, carbohydrate esterases, and polysaccharide lyases. Of the 31 identified cellulases, none contain CBMs in families 1, 2, and 3, typically associated with crystalline cellulose degradation. Polysaccharide hydrolysis and utilization assays showed that F. succinogenes was able to hydrolyze a number of polysaccharides, but could only utilize the hydrolytic products of cellulose. This suggests that F. succinogenes uses its array of hemicellulose-degrading enzymes to remove hemicelluloses to gain access to cellulose. This is reflected in its genome, as F. succinogenes lacks many of the genes necessary to transport and metabolize the hydrolytic products of non-cellulose polysaccharides. The F. succinogenes genome reveals a bacterium that specializes in cellulose as its sole energy source, and provides insight into a novel strategy for cellulose degradation.

  5. Assessment of microbial activity and biomass in different soils exposed to nicosulfuron

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ljiljana Šantrić

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The effects of the herbicide nicosulfuron on the abundance of cellulolytic and proteolytic microorganisms, activity of β-glucosidase and protease enzymes, and microbial phosphorus biomass were examined. A laboratory bioassay was set up on two types of agricultural soils differing in physicochemical properties. The following concentrations were tested: 0.3, 0.6, 3.0 and 30.0 mg a.i./kg of soil. Samples were collected 3, 7, 14, 30 and 45 days after treatment with nicosulfuron. The results showed that nicosulfuron significantly reduced the abundance of cellulolytic microorganisms in both soils, as well as microbial biomass phosphorus in sandy loam soil. The herbicide was found to stimulate β-glucosidase and protease activity in both types of soil and microbial biomass phosphorus in loamy soil. Proteolytic microorganisms remained unaffected by nicosulfuron.

  6. Screening of highly cellulolytic fungi and the action of their cellulase enzyme systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saddler, J N

    1982-11-01

    Over 100 strains of wood-rotting fungi were compared for their ability to degrade wood blocks. Some of these strains were then assayed for extracellular cellulase (1,4-(1,3;1,4)-beta-D-glucan 4- glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4) activity using a variety of different solid media containing carboxymethyl cellulose or acid swollen cellulose. The diameter of clearing on these plates gave an approximate indication of the order of cellulase activities obtained from culture filtrates of these strains. Trichoderma strains grown on Vogels medium gave the highest cellulase yields. The cellulase enzyme production of T. reesei C30 and QM9414 was compared with that of eight other Trichoderma strains. Trichoderma strain E58 had comparable endoglucanase and filter paper activities with the mutant strains while the beta-D-glucosidase (beta-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.21) activity was approximately six to nine times greater. (Refs. 26).

  7. Monovalent Cation Activation of the Radical SAM Enzyme Pyruvate Formate-Lyase Activating Enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shisler, Krista A; Hutcheson, Rachel U; Horitani, Masaki; Duschene, Kaitlin S; Crain, Adam V; Byer, Amanda S; Shepard, Eric M; Rasmussen, Ashley; Yang, Jian; Broderick, William E; Vey, Jessica L; Drennan, Catherine L; Hoffman, Brian M; Broderick, Joan B

    2017-08-30

    Pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme (PFL-AE) is a radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzyme that installs a catalytically essential glycyl radical on pyruvate formate-lyase. We show that PFL-AE binds a catalytically essential monovalent cation at its active site, yet another parallel with B 12 enzymes, and we characterize this cation site by a combination of structural, biochemical, and spectroscopic approaches. Refinement of the PFL-AE crystal structure reveals Na + as the most likely ion present in the solved structures, and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) demonstrates that the same cation site is occupied by 23 Na in the solution state of the as-isolated enzyme. A SAM carboxylate-oxygen is an M + ligand, and EPR and circular dichroism spectroscopies reveal that both the site occupancy and the identity of the cation perturb the electronic properties of the SAM-chelated iron-sulfur cluster. ENDOR studies of the PFL-AE/[ 13 C-methyl]-SAM complex show that the target sulfonium positioning varies with the cation, while the observation of an isotropic hyperfine coupling to the cation by ENDOR measurements establishes its intimate, SAM-mediated interaction with the cluster. This monovalent cation site controls enzyme activity: (i) PFL-AE in the absence of any simple monovalent cations has little-no activity; and (ii) among monocations, going down Group 1 of the periodic table from Li + to Cs + , PFL-AE activity sharply maximizes at K + , with NH 4 + closely matching the efficacy of K + . PFL-AE is thus a type I M + -activated enzyme whose M + controls reactivity by interactions with the cosubstrate, SAM, which is bound to the catalytic iron-sulfur cluster.

  8. Ras GTPases Modulate Morphogenesis, Sporulation and Cellulase Gene Expression in the Cellulolytic Fungus Trichoderma reesei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiwei; Zhang, Yanmei; Zhong, Yaohua; Qu, Yinbo; Wang, Tianhong

    2012-01-01

    Background The model cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina) is capable of responding to environmental cues to compete for nutrients in its natural saprophytic habitat despite its genome encodes fewer degradative enzymes. Efficient signalling pathways in perception and interpretation of environmental signals are indispensable in this process. Ras GTPases represent a kind of critical signal proteins involved in signal transduction and regulation of gene expression. In T. reesei the genome contains two Ras subfamily small GTPases TrRas1 and TrRas2 homologous to Ras1 and Ras2 from S. cerevisiae, but their functions remain unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we have investigated the roles of GTPases TrRas1 and TrRas2 during fungal morphogenesis and cellulase gene expression. We show that both TrRas1 and TrRas2 play important roles in some cellular processes such as polarized apical growth, hyphal branch formation, sporulation and cAMP level adjustment, while TrRas1 is more dominant in these processes. Strikingly, we find that TrRas2 is involved in modulation of cellulase gene expression. Deletion of TrRas2 results in considerably decreased transcription of cellulolytic genes upon growth on cellulose. Although the strain carrying a constitutively activated TrRas2G16V allele exhibits increased cellulase gene transcription, the cbh1 and cbh2 expression in this mutant still strictly depends on cellulose, indicating TrRas2 does not directly mediate the transmission of the cellulose signal. In addition, our data suggest that the effect of TrRas2 on cellulase gene is exerted through regulation of transcript abundance of cellulase transcription factors such as Xyr1, but the influence is independent of cAMP signalling pathway. Conclusions/Significance Together, these findings elucidate the functions for Ras signalling of T. reesei in cellular morphogenesis, especially in cellulase gene expression, which contribute to deciphering the

  9. Cellulolytic potential under environmental changes in microbial communities from grassland litter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renaud eBerlemont

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available In many ecosystems, global changes are likely to profoundly affect microorganisms. In Southern California, changes in precipitation and nitrogen deposition may influence the composition and functional potential of microbial communities and their resulting ability to degrade plant material. To test whether environmental changes impact the distribution of functional groups involved in leaf litter degradation, we determined how the genomic diversity of microbial communities in a semi-arid grassland ecosystem changed under reduced precipitation or increased N deposition. We monitored communities seasonally over a period of two years to place environmental change responses into the context of natural variation. Fungal and bacterial communities displayed strong seasonal patterns, Fungi being mostly detected during the dry season whereas Bacteria were common during wet periods. Most putative cellulose degraders were associated with 33 bacterial genera and constituted ~18.2% of the microbial community. Precipitation reduction reduced bacterial abundance and cellulolytic potential whereas nitrogen addition did not affect the cellulolytic potential of the microbial community. Finally, we detected a strong correlation between the frequencies of genera putative cellulose degraders and cellulase genes. Thus, microbial taxonomic composition was predictive of cellulolytic potential. This work provides a framework for how environmental changes affect microorganisms responsible for plant litter deconstruction.

  10. Isolation, screening, and identification of potential cellulolytic and xylanolytic producers for biodegradation of untreated oil palm trunk and its application in saccharification of lemongrass leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ang, S K; Yahya, Adibah; Abd Aziz, Suraini; Md Salleh, Madihah

    2015-01-01

    This study presents the isolation and screening of fungi with excellent ability to degrade untreated oil palm trunk (OPT) in a solid-state fermentation system (SSF). Qualitative assay of cellulases and xylanase indicates notable secretion of both enzymes by 12 fungal strains from a laboratory collection and 5 strains isolated from a contaminated wooden board. High production of these enzymes was subsequently quantified in OPT in SSF. Aspergillus fumigates SK1 isolated from cow dung gives the highest xylanolytic activity (648.448 U g(-1)), generally high cellulolytic activities (CMCase: 48.006, FPase: 6.860, beta-glucosidase: 16.328 U g(-1)) and moderate lignin peroxidase activity (4.820 U/g), and highest xylanolytic activity. The xylanase encoding gene of Aspergillus fumigates SK1 was screened using polymerase chain reaction by a pair of degenerate primers. Through multiple alignment of the SK1 strain's xylanase nucleotide sequences with other published xylanases, it was confirmed that the gene belonged to the xylanase glycoside hydrolase family 11 (GH11) with a protein size of 24.49 kD. Saccharification of lemongrass leaves using crude cellulases and xylanase gives the maximum reducing sugars production of 6.84 g/L with glucose as the major end product and traces of phenylpropanic compounds (vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid).

  11. In vitro Cellulose Rich Organic Material Degradation by Cellulolytic Streptomyces albospinus (MTCC 8768

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pinky Prasad

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Cellulosic biomass is the only foreseeable sustainable source of fuels and is also one of the dominating waste materials in nature resulting from human activities. Keeping in view the environmental problems like disposal of large volumes of cellulosic wastes and shortage of fossil fuel in the world, the main aim of the present investigation was to characterize and study the cellulolytic activity of Streptomyces albospinus (MTCC 8768, isolated from municipal wastes, on natural cellulosic substrates viz. straw powder, wood powder and finely grated vegetable peels.Methodology and Result: Stanier’s Basal broth with 100 mg of each of the substrates was inoculated separately with S. albospinus (MTCC No. 8768 and incubated at 37 °C for 8 days. The cellulosic substrates were re-weighed at an interval of 2 days and the difference between the initial weight and the final weight gave the amount of substratesdegraded by the isolate. It was observed that maximum degradation was observed in the grated vegetable peels (64 mg followed by straw powder (38 mg and wood powder (28 mg over a period of 8 days.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: By the selection of efficient cellulolytic microorganisms and cost-effective operational techniques, the production of useful end products from the biodegradation of the low cost enormous stock of cellulose in nature can be very beneficial.

  12. Effect of gamma irradiation and environmental factors on the production of extracellular cellulase enzyme by trichoderma Spp. using banana waste under solid state bio processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Shafey, H.M.; Matar, Z.A.I.; Ghanem, S.M.A.

    2007-01-01

    Fungal strains were isolated from degraded banana waste including leaves, pseudo stems and skins. Many isolated strains showed cellulolytic activities using the plate screening medium. The hyper cellulolytic isolates were selected on the basis of the diameter of the hydrolysis zone surrounding the colonies and identified to the genus level. The identified strains were found to belong to one of the genera Trichoderma, Aspergillus, Pleurotus or Penicillium. The strain with the larger diameter of the hydrolysis zone was found to belong to the genus Trichoderma. It was further identified to be Trichoderma harzianum, which was selected to be studied. Banana waste including leaves and pseudo stems were inoculated by the selected fungus and the production of the carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) and filter paper cellulase (FPCase) was followed during changes of the growth conditions under solid state fermentation. It was found that the two enzymes shared the same incubation temperature (25 degree C) and incubation period (18 days) for the maximum enzyme production. The gamma radiation dose of 1.5 KGy increased the production of CMCase produced on leaves by 4.0% and on pseudo stems by 5.6% and the production of FPCase produced on leaves by 2.4% and on pseudo stems by 2.3%. The results also suggest that FPCase and CMCase enzymes produced on leaves were higher than those produced from pseudo stems and the level of CMCase enzyme produced was higher than that of FPCase

  13. Enzyme Activities in Waste Water and Activated Sludge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nybroe, Ole; Jørgensen, Per Elberg; Henze, Mogens

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential of selected enzyme activity assays to determine microbial abundance and heterotrophic activity in waste water and activated sludge. In waste water, esterase and dehydrogenase activities were found to correlate with microbial abundance...... measured as colony forming units of heterotrophic bacteria. A panel of four enzyme activity assays, α-glucosidase, alanine-aminopeptidase, esterase and dehydrogenase were used to characterize activated sludge and anaerobic hydrolysis sludge from a pilot scale plant. The enzymatic activity profiles were...... distinctly different, suggesting that microbial populations were different, or had different physiological properties, in the two types of sludge. Enzyme activity profiles in activated sludge from four full-scale plants seemed to be highly influenced by the composition of the inlet. Addition of hydrolysed...

  14. Rock phosphate solubilizing and cellulolytic actinomycete isolates of earthworm casts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mba, Caroline C.

    1994-03-01

    Four microbial isolates, OP2, OP3, OP6, and OP7, of earthworm casts of Pontoscolex corethrurus were found to be acid tolerant actinomycetes and efficient rock phosphate (RP) solubilizers that could grow fast on NH4Cl-enriched or N-free carboxymethyl cellulose or glucose as sole carbon source. CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose) induced production of extracellular cellulase enzyme and the production of reducing sugar in all the isolates. RP solubilizing power was observed to be inversely related to glucose consumption. The most efficient RP solubilizer was found to consume the least glucose. Growth was faster on cellulose than on glucose media. N-free CMC induced greater glucose production than NH4Cl-enriched CMC medium. Both CMC and glucose media were acidified by all the isolates, however, RP solubilizing power decreased with acidification. Solubilization power was greatest with isolate OP7, which also produced the greatest amount of reducing sugar per gram CMC. Both RP solubilizing power and the cellulolytic efficiency varied among isolates. A minimum of 631 µg P/0.1 g RP and a maximum of 951.4 µg P/0.1 g RP was recorded.

  15. EVALUATION OF ENDOGLUCANASE, EXOGLUCANASE, LACCASE, AND LIGNIN PEROXIDASE ACTIVITIES ON TEN WHITE-ROT FUNGI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra Montoya B

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a way of tracking the production of lignocellulolytic enzymes in ten species of white rot fungi: Lentinula edodes, Schizophyllum commune, Trametes trogii, Coriolus versicolor, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa, Pleurotus ostreatus and Auricularia delicata. These species were first screened on solid culture media containing carboxymethyl cellulose, crystalline cellulose, ABTS (2,2´-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate and azure B, which showed the production of endoglucanase, exoglucanase, laccase and lignin peroxidase (LiP enzymes. Cellulolytic activities were detected after five days of incubation with congo red indicator, forming a clear-white halo in areas where cellulose was degraded. For ligninases, the tracking consisted of the monitoring in the formation of green halos due to ABTS oxidation for laccase, and decolorization halos on azure B for LiP during 14 days of incubation. From this qualitative screening, four strains were selected (G. lucidum, L. edodes, C. versicolor and T. trogii as the best producers of cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzymes. These four species were inoculated on a substrate of sawdust oak, yielding 51,8% of lignin degraded by L. edodes and 22% of cellulose degraded by C. versicolor.

  16. Synergistic enhancement of cellulase pairs linked by consensus ankyrin repeats: Determination of the roles of spacing, orientation, and enzyme identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunha, Eva S; Hatem, Christine L; Barrick, Doug

    2016-08-01

    Biomass deconstruction to small simple sugars is a potential approach to biofuels production; however, the highly recalcitrant nature of biomass limits the economic viability of this approach. Thus, research on efficient biomass degradation is necessary to achieve large-scale production of biofuels. Enhancement of cellulolytic activity by increasing synergism between cellulase enzymes holds promise in achieving high-yield biofuels production. Here we have inserted cellulase pairs from extremophiles into hyperstable α-helical consensus ankyrin repeat domain scaffolds. Such chimeric constructs allowed us to optimize arrays of enzyme pairs against a variety of cellulolytic substrates. We found that endocellulolytic domains CelA (CA) and Cel12A (C12A) act synergistically in the context of ankyrin repeats, with both three and four repeat spacing. The extent of synergy differs for different substrates. Also, having C12A N-terminal to CA provides greater synergy than the reverse construct, especially against filter paper. In contrast, we do not see synergy for these enzymes in tandem with CelK (CK) catalytic domain, a larger exocellulase, demonstrating the importance of enzyme identity in synergistic enhancement. Furthermore, we found endocellulases CelD and CA with three repeat spacing to act synergistically against filter paper. Importantly, connecting CA and C12A with a disordered linker of similar contour length shows no synergistic enhancement, indicating that synergism results from connecting these domains with folded ankyrin repeats. These results show that ankyrin arrays can be used to vary spacing and orientation between enzymes, helping to design and optimize artificial cellulosomes, providing a novel architecture for synergistic enhancement of enzymatic cellulose degradation. Proteins 2016; 84:1043-1054. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. PGASO: A synthetic biology tool for engineering a cellulolytic yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chang Jui-Jen

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To achieve an economical cellulosic ethanol production, a host that can do both cellulosic saccharification and ethanol fermentation is desirable. However, to engineer a non-cellulolytic yeast to be such a host requires synthetic biology techniques to transform multiple enzyme genes into its genome. Results A technique, named Promoter-based Gene Assembly and Simultaneous Overexpression (PGASO, that employs overlapping oligonucleotides for recombinatorial assembly of gene cassettes with individual promoters, was developed. PGASO was applied to engineer Kluyveromycesmarxianus KY3, which is a thermo- and toxin-tolerant yeast. We obtained a recombinant strain, called KR5, that is capable of simultaneously expressing exoglucanase and endoglucanase (both of Trichodermareesei, a beta-glucosidase (from a cow rumen fungus, a neomycin phosphotransferase, and a green fluorescent protein. High transformation efficiency and accuracy were achieved as ~63% of the transformants was confirmed to be correct. KR5 can utilize beta-glycan, cellobiose or CMC as the sole carbon source for growth and can directly convert cellobiose and beta-glycan to ethanol. Conclusions This study provides the first example of multi-gene assembly in a single step in a yeast species other than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We successfully engineered a yeast host with a five-gene cassette assembly and the new host is capable of co-expressing three types of cellulase genes. Our study shows that PGASO is an efficient tool for simultaneous expression of multiple enzymes in the kefir yeast KY3 and that KY3 can serve as a host for developing synthetic biology tools.

  18. Substrate-Competitive Activity-Based Profiling of Ester Prodrug Activating Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hao; Majmudar, Jaimeen D; Davda, Dahvid; Ghanakota, Phani; Kim, Ki H; Carlson, Heather A; Showalter, Hollis D; Martin, Brent R; Amidon, Gordon L

    2015-09-08

    Understanding the mechanistic basis of prodrug delivery and activation is critical for establishing species-specific prodrug sensitivities necessary for evaluating preclinical animal models and potential drug-drug interactions. Despite significant adoption of prodrug methodologies for enhanced pharmacokinetics, functional annotation of prodrug activating enzymes is laborious and often unaddressed. Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) describes an emerging chemoproteomic approach to assay active site occupancy within a mechanistically similar enzyme class in native proteomes. The serine hydrolase enzyme family is broadly reactive with reporter-linked fluorophosphonates, which have shown to provide a mechanism-based covalent labeling strategy to assay the activation state and active site occupancy of cellular serine amidases, esterases, and thioesterases. Here we describe a modified ABPP approach using direct substrate competition to identify activating enzymes for an ethyl ester prodrug, the influenza neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir. Substrate-competitive ABPP analysis identified carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) as an oseltamivir-activating enzyme in intestinal cell homogenates. Saturating concentrations of oseltamivir lead to a four-fold reduction in the observed rate constant for CES1 inactivation by fluorophosphonates. WWL50, a reported carbamate inhibitor of mouse CES1, blocked oseltamivir hydrolysis activity in human cell homogenates, confirming CES1 is the primary prodrug activating enzyme for oseltamivir in human liver and intestinal cell lines. The related carbamate inhibitor WWL79 inhibited mouse but not human CES1, providing a series of probes for analyzing prodrug activation mechanisms in different preclinical models. Overall, we present a substrate-competitive activity-based profiling approach for broadly surveying candidate prodrug hydrolyzing enzymes and outline the kinetic parameters for activating enzyme discovery, ester prodrug design, and

  19. Ultrasonic treatment of Viscozyme Cassava C preparation for improving cellulase activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tra, Tran Thi Thu; Vu, Huynh Minh; Man, Le Van Viet

    2017-09-01

    In this study, the effects of ultrasonic treatment on the cellulolytic activity of Viscozyme Cassava C preparation were investigated. The biocatalyst was treated with ultrasound at different enzyme concentrations (from 0.02 to 19.50 mg protein/mL), ultrasonic powers (from 0 to 12 W/mL) and times (from 0 to 120 seconds). The highest cellulase activity was achieved when the enzyme preparation was ultrasonicated at 7.3 W/mL for 40 sec, under which the cellulase activity increased by 18.1% over the control. The optimal pH and temperature of the sonicated and unsonicated biocatalysts were statistically similar. However, the half-life value of the sonicated preparation at 4 °C was 24.5% higher than that of the unsonicated preparation. This result indicated that ultrasonic treatment of the enzyme preparation could reduce its amount used in biocatalysis.

  20. Thermodynamic activity-based intrinsic enzyme kinetic sheds light on enzyme-solvent interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosch, Jan-Hendrik; Wagner, David; Nistelkas, Vasilios; Spieß, Antje C

    2017-01-01

    The reaction medium has major impact on biocatalytic reaction systems and on their economic significance. To allow for tailored medium engineering, thermodynamic phenomena, intrinsic enzyme kinetics, and enzyme-solvent interactions have to be discriminated. To this end, enzyme reaction kinetic modeling was coupled with thermodynamic calculations based on investigations of the alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis (LbADH) in monophasic water/methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) mixtures as a model solvent. Substrate concentrations and substrate thermodynamic activities were varied separately to identify the individual thermodynamic and kinetic effects on the enzyme activity. Microkinetic parameters based on concentration and thermodynamic activity were derived to successfully identify a positive effect of MTBE on the availability of the substrate to the enzyme, but a negative effect on the enzyme performance. In conclusion, thermodynamic activity-based kinetic modeling might be a suitable tool to initially curtail the type of enzyme-solvent interactions and thus, a powerful first step to potentially understand the phenomena that occur in nonconventional media in more detail. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:96-103, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  1. Recombinant Trichoderma harzianum endoglucanase I (Cel7B) is a highly acidic and promiscuous carbohydrate-active enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellegrini, Vanessa O A; Serpa, Viviane Isabel; Godoy, Andre S; Camilo, Cesar M; Bernardes, Amanda; Rezende, Camila A; Junior, Nei Pereira; Franco Cairo, João Paulo L; Squina, Fabio M; Polikarpov, Igor

    2015-11-01

    Trichoderma filamentous fungi have been investigated due to their ability to secrete cellulases which find various biotechnological applications such as biomass hydrolysis and cellulosic ethanol production. Previous studies demonstrated that Trichoderma harzianum IOC-3844 has a high degree of cellulolytic activity and potential for biomass hydrolysis. However, enzymatic, biochemical, and structural studies of cellulases from T. harzianum are scarce. This work reports biochemical characterization of the recombinant endoglucanase I from T. harzianum, ThCel7B, and its catalytic core domain. The constructs display optimum activity at 55 °C and a surprisingly acidic pH optimum of 3.0. The full-length enzyme is able to hydrolyze a variety of substrates, with high specific activity: 75 U/mg for β-glucan, 46 U/mg toward xyloglucan, 39 U/mg for lichenan, 26 U/mg for carboxymethyl cellulose, 18 U/mg for 4-nitrophenyl β-D-cellobioside, 16 U/mg for rye arabinoxylan, and 12 U/mg toward xylan. The enzyme also hydrolyzed filter paper, phosphoric acid swollen cellulose, Sigmacell 20, Avicel PH-101, and cellulose, albeit with lower efficiency. The ThCel7B catalytic domain displays similar substrate diversity. Fluorescence-based thermal shift assays showed that thermal stability is highest at pH 5.0. We determined kinetic parameters and analyzed a pattern of oligosaccharide substrates hydrolysis, revealing cellobiose as a final product of C6 degradation. Finally, we visualized effects of ThCel7B on oat spelt using scanning electron microscopy, demonstrating the morphological changes of the substrate during the hydrolysis. The acidic behavior of ThCel7B and its considerable thermostability hold a promise of its industrial applications and other biotechnological uses under extremely acidic conditions.

  2. Visualization of enzyme activities inside earthworm pores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoang, Duyen; Razavi, Bahar S.

    2015-04-01

    In extremely dynamic microhabitats as bio-pores made by earthworm, the in situ enzyme activities are assumed as a footprint of complex biotic interactions. Our study focused on the effect of earthworm on the enzyme activities inside bio-pores and visualizing the differences between bio-pores and earthworm-free soil by zymography technique (Spohn and Kuzyakov, 2013). For the first time, we aimed at quantitative imaging of enzyme activities in bio-pores. Lumbricus terrestris L. was placed into transparent box (15×20×15cm). After two weeks when bio-pore systems were formed by earthworms, we visualized in situ enzyme activities of five hydrolytic enzymes (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, chitinase, xylanase, leucine-aminopeptidase, and phosphatase. Zymography showed higher activity of β-glucosidase, chitinase, xylanase and phosphatase in biopores comparing to bulk soil. However, the differences in activity of cellobiohydrolase and leucine aminopeptidase between bio-pore and bulk soil were less pronounced. This demonstrated an applicability of zymography approach to monitor and to distinguish the in situ activity of hydrolytic enzymes in soil biopores.

  3. A study of overproduction and enhanced secretion of enzymes. Quarterly report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dashek, W.V.

    1993-09-01

    Wood decay within forests, a significant renewable photosynthetic energy resource, is caused primarily by Basidiomycetous fungi, e.g., white rot fungi. These organisms possess the ability to degrade lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, the main organic polymers of wood. In the case of the white rot fungi, e.g., Coriolus versicolor, the capacity results from the fungus` ability to elaborate extracellular cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzymes. With regard to the latter, at least one of the enzymes, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) appears within a defined growth medium. This proposal focuses on the over-production and enhanced secretion of PPO, cellulase and lignin peroxidase. There are two major sections to the proposal: (1) overproduction of lignocellulolytic enzymes by genetic engineering methodologies and hyper-production and enhanced secretion of these enzymes by biochemical/electro microscopical techniques and (2) the biochemical/electron microscopical method involves substrate induction and the time-dependent addition of respiration and PPO enzymes.

  4. County-Scale Spatial Distribution of Soil Enzyme Activities and Enzyme Activity Indices in Agricultural Land: Implications for Soil Quality Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangping Tan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Here the spatial distribution of soil enzymatic properties in agricultural land was evaluated on a county-wide (567 km2 scale in Changwu, Shaanxi Province, China. The spatial variations in activities of five hydrolytic enzymes were examined using geostatistical methods. The relationships between soil enzyme activities and other soil properties were evaluated using both an integrated total enzyme activity index (TEI and the geometric mean of enzyme activities (GME. At the county scale, soil invertase, phosphatase, and catalase activities were moderately spatially correlated, whereas urease and dehydrogenase activities were weakly spatially correlated. Correlation analysis showed that both TEI and GME were better correlated with selected soil physicochemical properties than single enzyme activities. Multivariate regression analysis showed that soil OM content had the strongest positive effect while soil pH had a negative effect on the two enzyme activity indices. In addition, total phosphorous content had a positive effect on TEI and GME in orchard soils, whereas alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available potassium contents, respectively, had negative and positive effects on these two enzyme indices in cropland soils. The results indicate that land use changes strongly affect soil enzyme activities in agricultural land, where TEI provides a sensitive biological indicator for soil quality.

  5. Genomic insights into the fungal lignocellulolytic system of Myceliophthora thermophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthi eKarnaouri

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The microbial conversion of solid cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels may provide a renewable energy source for transportation fuels. Cellulolytic fungi represent a promising group of organisms, as they have evolved complex systems for adaptation to their natural habitat. The filamentous fungus Myceliophthora thermophila constitutes an exceptionally powerful cellulolytic microorganism that synthesizes a complete set of enzymes necessary for the breakdown of plant cell wall. The genome of this fungus has been recently sequenced and annotated, allowing systematic examination and identification of enzymes required for the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. The genomic analysis revealed the existence of an expanded enzymatic repertoire including numerous cellulases, hemicellulases and enzymes with auxiliary activities, covering the most of the recognized CAZy families. Most of them were predicted to possess a secretion signal and undergo through post translational glycosylation modifications. These data offer a better understanding of activities embedded in fungal lignocellulose decomposition mechanisms and suggest that M. thermophila could be made usable as an industrial production host for cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes.

  6. Extracellular Enzymes Produced by the Cultivated Mushroom Lentinus edodes during Degradation of a Lignocellulosic Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leatham, Gary F.

    1985-01-01

    Although the commercially important mushroom Lentinus (= Lentinula) edodes (Berk.) Sing. can be rapidly cultivated on supplemented wood particles, fruiting is not reliable. This study addressed the problem by developing more information about growth and development on a practical oakwood-oatmeal medium. The study determined (i) the components degraded during a 150-day incubation at 22°C, (ii) the apparent vegetative growth pattern, (iii) the likely growth-limiting nutrient, and (iv) assays that can be used to study key extracellular enzymes. All major components of the medium were degraded, lignin selectively so. The vegetative growth rate was most rapid during the initial 90 days, during which weight loss correlated with glucosamine accumulation (assayed after acid hydrolysis). The rate then slowed; in apparent preparation for fruiting, the cultures rapidly accumulated glucosamine (or its oligomer or polymer). Nitrogen was growth limiting. Certain enzyme activities were associated with the pattern of medium degradation, with growth, or with development. They included cellulolytic system enzymes, hemicellulases, the ligninolytic system, (gluco-)amylase, pectinase, acid protease, cell wall lytic enzymes (laminarinase, 1,4-β-d-glucosidase, β-N-acetyl-d-glucosaminidase, α-d-galactosidase, β-d-mannosidase), acid phosphatase, and laccase. Enzyme activities over the 150-day incubation period with and without a fruiting stimulus are reported. These results provide a basis for future investigations into the physiology and biochemistry of growth and fruiting. PMID:16346918

  7. Lysosomal enzyme activation in irradiated mammary tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarke, C.; Wills, E.D.

    1976-01-01

    Lysosomal enzyme activity of C3H mouse mammary tumors was measured quantitatively by a histochemical method. Following whole-body doses of 3600 rad or less no changes were observed in the lysosomal enzyme activity for 12 hr after the irradiation, but very large increases in acid phosphatase and β-naphthylamidase activity were, however, observed 24 hr after irradiation. Significant increases in enzyme activity were detected 72 hr after a dose of 300 rad and the increases of enzyme activity were dose dependent over the range 300 to 900 rad. Testosterone (80 mg/kg) injected into mice 2 hr before irradiation (850 rad) caused a significant increase of lysosomal enzyme activity over and above that of the same dose of irradiation alone. If the tumor-bearing mice were given 95 percent oxygen/5 percent carbon dioxide to breathe for 8 min before irradiation the effect of 850 rad on lysosomal acid phosphatase was increased to 160 percent/that of the irradiation given alone. Activitation of lysosomal enzymes in mammary tumors is an important primary or secondary consequence of radiation

  8. Epigenetics of dominance for enzyme activity

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    dimer over a wide range of H+ concentrations accounts for the epigenetics of dominance for enzyme activity. [Trehan K S ... The present study has been carried on acid phosphatase .... enzyme activity over mid parent value (table 3, col. 13),.

  9. Spatial distribution of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razavi, Bahar S.; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2015-04-01

    The rhizosphere, the tiny zone of soil surrounding roots, certainly represents one of the most dynamic habitat and interfaces on Earth. Activities of enzymes produced by both plant roots and microbes are the primary biological drivers of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. That is why there is an urgent need in spatially explicit methods for the determination of the rhizosphere extension and enzyme distribution. Recently, zymography as a new technique based on diffusion of enzymes through the 1 mm gel plate for analysis has been introduced (Spohn & Kuzyakov, 2013). We developed the zymography technique to visualize the enzyme activities with a higher spatial resolution. For the first time, we aimed at quantitative imaging of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root tip and the root surface in the soil. We visualized the two dimensional distribution of the activity of three enzymes: β-glucosidase, phosphatase and leucine amino peptidase in the rhizosphere of maize using fluorogenically labelled substrates. Spatial-resolution of fluorescent images was improved by direct application of a substrate saturated membrane to the soil-root system. The newly-developed direct zymography visualized heterogeneity of enzyme activities along the roots. The activity of all enzymes was the highest at the apical parts of individual roots. Across the roots, the enzyme activities were higher at immediate vicinity of the roots (1.5 mm) and gradually decreased towards the bulk soil. Spatial patterns of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root surface were enzyme specific, with highest extension for phosphatase. We conclude that improved zymography is promising in situ technique to analyze, visualize and quantify spatial distribution of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere hotspots. References Spohn, M., Kuzyakov, Y., 2013. Phosphorus mineralization can be driven by microbial need for carbon. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 61: 69-75

  10. Production and characterization of cellulolytic enzymes from Trichoderma reesei grown on various carbon sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warzywoda, Michel; Labre, Elisabeth; Pourquie, Jacques [Institut Francais du Petrole (IFP), 92 - Rueil-Malmaison (France)

    1992-01-01

    Ethanol production from lignocellulosics is considered, using a process in which biomass is first pretreated by steam explosion, yielding freely water-extractible pentoses and a cellulose-rich residue which can be further hydrolyzed by cellulases into glucose to be fermented into ethanol. Results that are reported show that both the pentose extracts and the glucose-rich hydrolyzates can be used as carbon sources for cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei. When compared with lactose as the main carbon source, pentose extracts support lower but satisfactory protein productions which are characterized by an increase in hemicellulolytic activities, which significantly improves the saccharifying potential of these enzyme preparations. (author).

  11. Shotgun Approach to Increasing Enzymatic Saccharification Yields of Ammonia Fiber Expansion Pretreated Cellulosic Biomass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chundawat, Shishir P. S.; Uppugundla, Nirmal; Gao, Dahai; Curran, Paul G.; Balan, Venkatesh; Dale, Bruce E.

    2017-01-01

    Most cellulolytic enzyme blends, either procured from a commercial vendor or isolated from a single cellulolytic microbial secretome, do not efficiently hydrolyze ammonia-pretreated (e.g., ammonia fiber expansion, AFEX) lignocellulosic agricultural crop residues like corn stover to fermentable sugars. Typically reported commercial enzyme loading (30–100 mg protein/g glucan) necessary to achieve >90% total hydrolysis yield (to monosaccharides) for AFEX-treated biomass, within a short saccharification time frame (24–48 h), is economically unviable. Unlike acid-based pretreatments, AFEX retains most of the hemicelluloses in the biomass and therefore requires a more complex suite of enzymes for efficient hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose at industrially relevant high solids loadings. One strategy to reduce enzyme dosage while improving cocktail effectiveness for AFEX-treated biomass has been to use individually purified enzymes to determine optimal enzyme combinations to maximize hydrolysis yields. However, this approach is limited by the selection of heterologous enzymes available or the labor required for isolating low-abundance enzymes directly from the microbial secretomes. Here, we show that directly blending crude cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes-rich microbial secretomes can maximize specific activity on AFEX-treated biomass without having to isolate individual enzymes. Fourteen commercially available cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes were procured from leading enzyme companies (Novozymes ® , Genencor ® , and Biocatalysts ® ) and were mixed together to generate several hundred unique cocktail combinations. The mixtures were assayed for activity on AFEX-treated corn stover (AFEX-CS) using a previously established high-throughput methodology. The optimal enzyme blend combinations identified from these screening assays were enriched in various low-abundance hemicellulases and accessory enzymes typically absent in most commercial

  12. Shotgun Approach to Increasing Enzymatic Saccharification Yields of Ammonia Fiber Expansion Pretreated Cellulosic Biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chundawat, Shishir P. S., E-mail: shishir.chundawat@rutgers.edu [Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers-State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States); Uppugundla, Nirmal; Gao, Dahai [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States); Curran, Paul G. [Center for Statistical Training and Consulting (CSTAT), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States); Balan, Venkatesh; Dale, Bruce E. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States)

    2017-05-10

    Most cellulolytic enzyme blends, either procured from a commercial vendor or isolated from a single cellulolytic microbial secretome, do not efficiently hydrolyze ammonia-pretreated (e.g., ammonia fiber expansion, AFEX) lignocellulosic agricultural crop residues like corn stover to fermentable sugars. Typically reported commercial enzyme loading (30–100 mg protein/g glucan) necessary to achieve >90% total hydrolysis yield (to monosaccharides) for AFEX-treated biomass, within a short saccharification time frame (24–48 h), is economically unviable. Unlike acid-based pretreatments, AFEX retains most of the hemicelluloses in the biomass and therefore requires a more complex suite of enzymes for efficient hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose at industrially relevant high solids loadings. One strategy to reduce enzyme dosage while improving cocktail effectiveness for AFEX-treated biomass has been to use individually purified enzymes to determine optimal enzyme combinations to maximize hydrolysis yields. However, this approach is limited by the selection of heterologous enzymes available or the labor required for isolating low-abundance enzymes directly from the microbial secretomes. Here, we show that directly blending crude cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes-rich microbial secretomes can maximize specific activity on AFEX-treated biomass without having to isolate individual enzymes. Fourteen commercially available cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes were procured from leading enzyme companies (Novozymes{sup ®}, Genencor{sup ®}, and Biocatalysts{sup ®}) and were mixed together to generate several hundred unique cocktail combinations. The mixtures were assayed for activity on AFEX-treated corn stover (AFEX-CS) using a previously established high-throughput methodology. The optimal enzyme blend combinations identified from these screening assays were enriched in various low-abundance hemicellulases and accessory enzymes typically absent in most

  13. Enzymes and Enzyme Activity Encoded by Nonenveloped Viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azad, Kimi; Banerjee, Manidipa; Johnson, John E

    2017-09-29

    Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that rely on host cell machineries for their replication and survival. Although viruses tend to make optimal use of the host cell protein repertoire, they need to encode essential enzymatic or effector functions that may not be available or accessible in the host cellular milieu. The enzymes encoded by nonenveloped viruses-a group of viruses that lack any lipid coating or envelope-play vital roles in all the stages of the viral life cycle. This review summarizes the structural, biochemical, and mechanistic information available for several classes of enzymes and autocatalytic activity encoded by nonenveloped viruses. Advances in research and development of antiviral inhibitors targeting specific viral enzymes are also highlighted.

  14. Enzyme activity assay of glycoprotein enzymes based on a boronate affinity molecularly imprinted 96-well microplate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Xiaodong; Liu, Zhen

    2014-12-16

    Enzyme activity assay is an important method in clinical diagnostics. However, conventional enzyme activity assay suffers from apparent interference from the sample matrix. Herein, we present a new format of enzyme activity assay that can effectively eliminate the effects of the sample matrix. The key is a 96-well microplate modified with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) prepared according to a newly proposed method called boronate affinity-based oriented surface imprinting. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a glycoprotein enzyme that has been routinely used as an indicator for several diseases in clinical tests, was taken as a representative target enzyme. The prepared MIP exhibited strong affinity toward the template enzyme (with a dissociation constant of 10(-10) M) as well as superb tolerance for interference. Thus, the enzyme molecules in a complicated sample matrix could be specifically captured and cleaned up for enzyme activity assay, which eliminated the interference from the sample matrix. On the other hand, because the boronate affinity MIP could well retain the enzymatic activity of glycoprotein enzymes, the enzyme captured by the MIP was directly used for activity assay. Thus, additional assay time and possible enzyme or activity loss due to an enzyme release step required by other methods were avoided. Assay of ALP in human serum was successfully demonstrated, suggesting a promising prospect of the proposed method in real-world applications.

  15. The ultrasound technology for modifying enzyme activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meliza Lindsay

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Enzymes are protein complexes compounds widely studied and used due to their ability to catalyze reactions. The food processing mainly aims the inactivation of enzymes due to various undesirable effects. However, there are many processes that can be optimized by its catalytic activity. In this context, different technologies have been applied both to inactivate or to improve the enzymes efficiency. The Ultrasound technology emerges as an alternative mainly applied to achieve the enzyme inactivation. On the contrary, very few investigations show the ability of this technology under certain conditions to achieve the opposite effect (i.e. increase the catalytic activity of enzymes. The objective of this study was to correlate the ultrasonic energy delivered to the sample (J/mL with the residual enzymatic activity and explain the possible mechanisms which results in the enzymatic activation/inactivation complex behavior. The activity of POD in coconut water was evaluated as a model. The enzymatic activity initially increased, followed by reduction with a trend to enzyme inactivation. This complex behavior is directly related to the applied ultrasonic energy and their direct mechanical effects on the product, as well as the effect in the enzymatic infinite intermediate states and its structural conformation changes. The obtained results are useful for both academic and industrial perspectives.

  16. Lignin-degrading enzyme activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yi-ru; Sarkanen, Simo; Wang, Yun-Yan

    2012-01-01

    Over the past three decades, the activities of four kinds of enzyme have been purported to furnish the mechanistic foundations for macromolecular lignin depolymerization in decaying plant cell walls. The pertinent fungal enzymes comprise lignin peroxidase (with a relatively high redox potential), manganese peroxidase, an alkyl aryl etherase, and laccase. The peroxidases and laccase, but not the etherase, are expressed extracellularly by white-rot fungi. A number of these microorganisms exhibit a marked preference toward lignin in their degradation of lignocellulose. Interestingly, some white-rot fungi secrete both kinds of peroxidase but no laccase, while others that are equally effective express extracellular laccase activity but no peroxidases. Actually, none of these enzymes has been reported to possess significant depolymerase activity toward macromolecular lignin substrates that are derived with little chemical modification from the native biopolymer. Here, the assays commonly employed for monitoring the traditional fungal peroxidases, alkyl aryl etherase, and laccase are described in their respective contexts. A soluble native polymeric substrate that can be isolated directly from a conventional milled-wood lignin preparation is characterized in relation to its utility in next-generation lignin-depolymerase assays.

  17. The ultrasound technology for modifying enzyme activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meliza Lindsay Rojas

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Enzymes are protein complexes compounds widely studied and used due to their ability to catalyze reactions. The food processing mainly a ims the inactivation of enzymes due to various undesirable effects. However, there are many processes that can be optimized by its catalytic activity. In this context, different technologies have been applied both to inactivate or to improve the enzymes ef ficiency. The Ultrasound technology emerges as an alternative mainly applied to achieve the enzyme inactivation. On the contrary, very few investigations show the ability of this technology under certain conditions to achieve the opposite effect (i.e. increase the catalytic activity of enzymes. The objective of this study was to correlate the ultrasonic energy delivered to the sample (J/mL with the residual enzymatic activity and explain the possible mechanisms which results in the enzymatic activation/in activation complex behavior. The activity of POD in coconut water was evaluated as a model. The enzymatic activity initially increased, followed by reduction with a trend to enzyme inactivation. This complex behavior is directly related to the applied ultr asonic energy and their direct mechanical effects on the product, as well as the effect in the enzymatic infinite intermediate states and its structural conformation changes. The obtained results are useful for both academic and industrial perspectives.

  18. One-step production of biocommodities from lignocellulosic biomass by recombinant cellulolytic bacillus subtilis: opportunities and challenges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xiao-Zhou [Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA (United States); Zhang, Yi-Heng P. [Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA (United States); Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA (United States); BioEnergy Science Center of Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2010-10-15

    One-step consolidated bioprocessing that integrates cellulase production, cellulose hydrolysis, and product fermentation into a single step for decreasing costly cellulase use, increasing volumetric productivity, and reducing capital investment is widely accepted for low-cost production of biofuels or other value-added biochemicals. Considering the narrow margins between biomass and low-value biocommodities, good physiological performance of industrial microbes is crucial for economically viable production. Bacillus subtilis, the best-characterized Gram-positive microorganism, is a major industrial microorganism with numerous valuable features such as hexose and pentose utilization, low-nutrient needs, fast growth rate, high protein secretion capacity, industrial safety, etc. As compared with other potential consolidated bioprocessing microorganisms such as Clostridium spp., Escherichia coli, and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, recombinant cellulolytic B. subtilis strains would be a potential platform for biocommodity production from nonfood biomass. Here, we review the advances in recombinant cellulolytic B. subtilis development and metabolic engineering for biocommodity production, and discuss the opportunities and challenges of cellulolytic B. subtilis for biocommodity production. (Copyright copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  19. Diversity of bacteria and glycosyl hydrolase family 48 genes in cellulolytic consortia enriched from thermophilic biocompost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izquierdo, Javier A; Sizova, Maria V; Lynd, Lee R

    2010-06-01

    The enrichment from nature of novel microbial communities with high cellulolytic activity is useful in the identification of novel organisms and novel functions that enhance the fundamental understanding of microbial cellulose degradation. In this work we identify predominant organisms in three cellulolytic enrichment cultures with thermophilic compost as an inoculum. Community structure based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries featured extensive representation of clostridia from cluster III, with minor representation of clostridial clusters I and XIV and a novel Lutispora species cluster. Our studies reveal different levels of 16S rRNA gene diversity, ranging from 3 to 18 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), as well as variability in community membership across the three enrichment cultures. By comparison, glycosyl hydrolase family 48 (GHF48) diversity analyses revealed a narrower breadth of novel clostridial genes associated with cultured and uncultured cellulose degraders. The novel GHF48 genes identified in this study were related to the novel clostridia Clostridium straminisolvens and Clostridium clariflavum, with one cluster sharing as little as 73% sequence similarity with the closest known relative. In all, 14 new GHF48 gene sequences were added to the known diversity of 35 genes from cultured species.

  20. Enzyme with rhamnogalacturonase activity.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kofod, L.V.; Andersen, L.N.; Dalboge, H.; Kauppinen, M.S.; Christgau, S.; Heldt-Hansen, H.P.; Christophersen, C.; Nielsen, P.M.; Voragen, A.G.J.; Schols, H.A.

    1998-01-01

    An enzyme exhibiting rhamnogalacturonase activity, capable of cleaving a rhamnogalacturonan backbone in such a manner that galacturonic acids are left as the non-reducing ends, and which exhibits activity on hairy regions from a soy bean material and/or on saponified hairy regions from a sugar beet

  1. Increased production of biomass-degrading enzymes by double deletion of creA and creB genes involved in carbon catabolite repression in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichinose, Sakurako; Tanaka, Mizuki; Shintani, Takahiro; Gomi, Katsuya

    2018-02-01

    In a previous study, we reported that a double gene deletion mutant for CreA and CreB, which constitute the regulatory machinery involved in carbon catabolite repression, exhibited improved production of α-amylase compared with the wild-type strain and single creA or creB deletion mutants in Aspergillus oryzae. Because A. oryzae can also produce biomass-degrading enzymes, such as xylolytic and cellulolytic enzymes, we examined the production levels of those enzymes in deletion mutants in this study. Xylanase and β-glucosidase activities in the wild-type were hardly detected in submerged culture containing xylose as the carbon source, whereas those enzyme activities were significantly increased in the single creA deletion (ΔcreA) and double creA and creB deletion (ΔcreAΔcreB) mutants. In particular, the ΔcreAΔcreB mutant exhibited >100-fold higher xylanase and β-glucosidase activities than the wild-type. Moreover, in solid-state culture, the β-glucosidase activity of the double deletion mutant was >7-fold higher than in the wild-type. These results suggested that deletion of both creA and creB genes could also efficiently improve the production levels of biomass-degrading enzymes in A. oryzae. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. The improvement of eggs quality of Mojosari duck (Anas javanica with soybean husk fermentation using cellulolytic bacteria of Spodoptera litura

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Hidanah

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Aim: This study was aimed to improve the quality of the eggs of Mojosari duck (Anas javanica through complete feeding containing soybean husk was fermented using cellulolytic bacteria of Spodoptera litura. Materials and Methods: This study consisted of three stages: The first stages, isolation and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from S. litura; the second stage, the fermentation of soybean husk through the application of bacterial cellulolytic isolate from the first stage; and the third stage, the application of the best complete feed formulation from the second stage to Mojosari duck. Results: There are four dominant bacteria: Bacillus sp., Cellulomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Cytophaga sp. Furthermore, the best reduction of the crude fiber of soybean husks is the use of Cellulomonas sp. bacteria. The final of the study, the quality of the eggs of Anas javanica, was improved, as indicated by cholesterol decrease from the yolk without the decrease of egg weight and eggshell thickness, although the decrease in egg yolk color was inevitable. Conclusion: Soy husk fermentation using cellulolytic bacteria of S. litura was added to complete feeding can be performed to improve the quality of the eggs of Mojosari duck.

  3. Photoperiodism and Enzyme Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Queiroz, Orlando; Morel, Claudine

    1974-01-01

    Metabolic readjustments after a change from long days to short days appear, in Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, to be achieved through the operation of two main mechanisms: variation in enzyme capacity, and circadian rhythmicity. After a lag time, capacity in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and capacity in aspartate aminotransferase increase exponentially and appear to be allometrically linked during 50 to 60 short days; then a sudden fall takes place in the activity of the former. Malic enzyme and alanine aminotransferase behave differently. Thus, the operation of the two sections of the pathway (before and after the malate step) give rise to a continuously changing functional compartmentation in the pathway. Circadian rhythmicity, on the other hand, produces time compartmentation through phase shifts and variation in amplitude, independently for each enzyme. These characteristics suggest that the operation of a so-called biological clock would be involved. We propose the hypothesis that feedback regulation would be more accurate and efficient when applied to an already oscillating, clock-controlled enzyme system. PMID:16658749

  4. Malbranchea cinnamomea: A thermophilic fungal source of catalytically efficient lignocellulolytic glycosyl hydrolases and metal dependent enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahajan, Chhavi; Basotra, Neha; Singh, Surender; Di Falco, Marcos; Tsang, Adrian; Chadha, B S

    2016-01-01

    This study reports thermophilic fungus Malbranchea cinnamomea as an important source of lignocellulolytic enzymes. The secretome analysis using LC-MS/MS orbitrap showed that fungus produced a spectrum of glycosyl hydrolases (cellulase/hemicellulase), polysaccharide lyases (PL) and carbohydrate esterases (CE) in addition to cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) indicating the presence of functional classical and oxidative cellulolytic mechanisms. The protein fractions in the secretome resolved by ion exchange chromatography were analyzed for ability to hydrolyze alkali treated carrot grass (ATCG) in the presence of Mn(2+)/Cu(2+). This strategy in tandem with peptide mass fingerprinting led to identification of metal dependent protein hydrolases with no apparent hydrolytic activity, however, showed 5.7 folds higher saccharification in presence of Mn(2+). Furthermore, adding different protein fractions to commercial cellulase (Novozymes: Cellic CTec2) resulted in enhanced hydrolysis of ATCG ranging between 1.57 and 3.43 folds indicating the enzymes from M. cinnamomea as catalytically efficient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effects of de-icing salt on soil enzyme activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guentner, M; Wilke, B M

    1983-01-01

    Effects of de-icing salt on dehydrogenase, urease, alkalinephosphatase and arylsulfatase activity of O/sub L/- and A/sub h/-horizons of a moder and a mull soil were investigated using a field experiment. Additions of 2.5 kg m/sup -2/ and 5.0 kg m/sup -2/ of de-icing salt reduced activities of most enzymes within four weeks. Eleven months after salt addition there was nearly no reduction of enzyme activity to be measured on salt treated soils. The percentage of reduced enzyme activity was generally higher in the moder soil. It was concluded that reductions of enzyme activity were due to decreases of microbial activity and not to inactivation of enzymes.

  6. [Interaction between CYP450 enzymes and metabolism of traditional Chinese medicine as well as enzyme activity assay].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Tu-lin; Su, Lian-lin; Ji, De; Gu, Wei; Mao, Chun-qin

    2015-09-01

    Drugs are exogenous compounds for human bodies, and will be metabolized by many enzymes after administration. CYP450 enzyme, as a major metabolic enzyme, is an important phase I drug metabolizing enzyme. In human bodies, about 75% of drug metabolism is conducted by CYP450 enzymes, and CYP450 enzymes is the key factor for drug interactions between traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) -TCM, TCM-medicine and other drug combination. In order to make clear the interaction between metabolic enzymes and TCM metabolism, we generally chose the enzymatic activity as an evaluation index. That is to say, the enhancement or reduction of CYP450 enzyme activity was used to infer the inducing or inhibitory effect of active ingredients and extracts of traditional Chinese medicine on enzymes. At present, the common method for measuring metabolic enzyme activity is Cocktail probe drugs, and it is the key to select the suitable probe substrates. This is of great significance for study drug's absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) process in organisms. The study focuses on the interaction between TCMs, active ingredients, herbal extracts, cocktail probe substrates as well as CYP450 enzymes, in order to guide future studies.

  7. Compounds from silicones alter enzyme activity in curing barnacle glue and model enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rittschof, Daniel; Orihuela, Beatriz; Harder, Tilmann; Stafslien, Shane; Chisholm, Bret; Dickinson, Gary H

    2011-02-17

    Attachment strength of fouling organisms on silicone coatings is low. We hypothesized that low attachment strength on silicones is, in part, due to the interaction of surface available components with natural glues. Components could alter curing of glues through bulk changes or specifically through altered enzyme activity. GC-MS analysis of silicone coatings showed surface-available siloxanes when the coatings were gently rubbed with a cotton swab for 15 seconds or given a 30 second rinse with methanol. Mixtures of compounds were found on 2 commercial and 8 model silicone coatings. The hypothesis that silicone components alter glue curing enzymes was tested with curing barnacle glue and with commercial enzymes. In our model, barnacle glue curing involves trypsin-like serine protease(s), which activate enzymes and structural proteins, and a transglutaminase which cross-links glue proteins. Transglutaminase activity was significantly altered upon exposure of curing glue from individual barnacles to silicone eluates. Activity of purified trypsin and, to a greater extent, transglutaminase was significantly altered by relevant concentrations of silicone polymer constituents. Surface-associated silicone compounds can disrupt glue curing and alter enzyme properties. Altered curing of natural glues has potential in fouling management.

  8. Measurement of enzyme activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, T K; Keshwani, M M

    2009-01-01

    To study and understand the nature of living cells, scientists have continually employed traditional biochemical techniques aimed to fractionate and characterize a designated network of macromolecular components required to carry out a particular cellular function. At the most rudimentary level, cellular functions ultimately entail rapid chemical transformations that otherwise would not occur in the physiological environment of the cell. The term enzyme is used to singularly designate a macromolecular gene product that specifically and greatly enhances the rate of a chemical transformation. Purification and characterization of individual and collective groups of enzymes has been and will remain essential toward advancement of the molecular biological sciences; and developing and utilizing enzyme reaction assays is central to this mission. First, basic kinetic principles are described for understanding chemical reaction rates and the catalytic effects of enzymes on such rates. Then, a number of methods are described for measuring enzyme-catalyzed reaction rates, which mainly differ with regard to techniques used to detect and quantify concentration changes of given reactants or products. Finally, short commentary is given toward formulation of reaction mixtures used to measure enzyme activity. Whereas a comprehensive treatment of enzymatic reaction assays is not within the scope of this chapter, the very core principles that are presented should enable new researchers to better understand the logic and utility of any given enzymatic assay that becomes of interest.

  9. Pyrosequencing reveals high-temperature cellulolytic microbial consortia in Great Boiling Spring after in situ lignocellulose enrichment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph P Peacock

    Full Text Available To characterize high-temperature cellulolytic microbial communities, two lignocellulosic substrates, ammonia fiber-explosion-treated corn stover and aspen shavings, were incubated at average temperatures of 77 and 85°C in the sediment and water column of Great Boiling Spring, Nevada. Comparison of 109,941 quality-filtered 16S rRNA gene pyrosequences (pyrotags from eight enrichments to 37,057 quality-filtered pyrotags from corresponding natural samples revealed distinct enriched communities dominated by phylotypes related to cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic Thermotoga and Dictyoglomus, cellulolytic and sugar-fermenting Desulfurococcales, and sugar-fermenting and hydrogenotrophic Archaeoglobales. Minor enriched populations included close relatives of hydrogenotrophic Thermodesulfobacteria, the candidate bacterial phylum OP9, and candidate archaeal groups C2 and DHVE3. Enrichment temperature was the major factor influencing community composition, with a negative correlation between temperature and richness, followed by lignocellulosic substrate composition. This study establishes the importance of these groups in the natural degradation of lignocellulose at high temperatures and suggests that a substantial portion of the diversity of thermophiles contributing to consortial cellulolysis may be contained within lineages that have representatives in pure culture.

  10. Evaluation of minimal Trichoderma reesei cellulase mixtures on differently pretreated barley straw substrates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosgaard, Lisa; Pedersen, Sven; Langston, Jim

    2007-01-01

    The commercial cellulase product Celluclast 1.5, derived from Trichoderma reesei (Novozymes A/S, Bagsv ae rd, Denmark), is widely employed for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. This enzyme preparation contains a broad spectrum of cellulolytic enzyme activities, most notably...

  11. Evaluation of Minimal Trichoderma reesei Cellulase Mixtures on Differently Pretreated Barley Straw Substrate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosgaard, Lisa; Pedersen, Sven; Langston, J

    2007-01-01

    The commercial cellulase product Celluclast 1.5, derived from Trichoderma reesei (Novozymes A/S, Bagsv ae rd, Denmark), is widely employed for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. This enzyme preparation contains a broad spectrum of cellulolytic enzyme activities, most notably...

  12. Genes regulated by AoXlnR, the xylanolytic and cellulolytic transcriptional regulator, in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguchi, Yuji; Sano, Motoaki; Kanamaru, Kyoko; Ko, Taro; Takeuchi, Michio; Kato, Masashi; Kobayashi, Tetsuo

    2009-11-01

    XlnR is a Zn(II)2Cys6 transcriptional activator of xylanolytic and cellulolytic genes in Aspergillus. Overexpression of the aoxlnR gene in Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae xlnR gene) resulted in elevated xylanolytic and cellulolytic activities in the culture supernatant, in which nearly 40 secreted proteins were detected by two-dimensional electrophoresis. DNA microarray analysis to identify the transcriptional targets of AoXlnR led to the identification of 75 genes that showed more than fivefold increase in their expression in the AoXlnR overproducer than in the disruptant. Of these, 32 genes were predicted to encode a glycoside hydrolase, highlighting the biotechnological importance of AoXlnR in biomass degradation. The 75 genes included the genes previously identified as AoXlnR targets (xynF1, xynF3, xynG2, xylA, celA, celB, celC, and celD). Thirty-six genes were predicted to be extracellular, which was consistent with the number of proteins secreted, and 61 genes possessed putative XlnR-binding sites (5'-GGCTAA-3', 5'-GGCTAG-3', and 5'-GGCTGA-3') in their promoter regions. Functional annotation of the genes revealed that AoXlnR regulated the expression of hydrolytic genes for degradation of beta-1,4-xylan, arabinoxylan, cellulose, and xyloglucan and of catabolic genes for the conversion of D-xylose to xylulose-5-phosphate. In addition, genes encoding glucose-6-phosphate 1-dehydrogenase and L-arabinitol-4- dehydrogenase involved in D-glucose and L-arabinose catabolism also appeared to be targets of AoXlnR.

  13. Enzyme activity and kinetics in substrate-amended river sediments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duddridge, J E; Wainwright, M

    1982-01-01

    In determining the effects of heavy metals in microbial activity and litter degradation in river sediments, one approach is to determine the effects of these pollutants on sediment enzyme activity and synthesis. Methods to assay amylase, cellulase and urease activity in diverse river sediments are reported. Enzyme activity was low in non-amended sediments, but increased markedly when the appropriate substrate was added, paralleling both athropogenic and natural amendment. Linear relationships between enzyme activity, length of incubation, sample size and substrate concentration were established. Sediment enzyme activity generally obeyed Michaelis-Menton kinetics, but of the three enzymes, urease gave least significant correlation coefficients when the data for substrate concentration versus activity was applied to the Eadie-Hofstee transformation of the Michaelis-Menten equation. K/sub m/ and V/sub max/ for amylase, cellulase and urease in sediments are reported. (JMT)

  14. Enzyme Activity Experiments Using a Simple Spectrophotometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurlbut, Jeffrey A.; And Others

    1977-01-01

    Experimental procedures for studying enzyme activity using a Spectronic 20 spectrophotometer are described. The experiments demonstrate the effect of pH, temperature, and inhibitors on enzyme activity and allow the determination of Km, Vmax, and Kcat. These procedures are designed for teaching large lower-level biochemistry classes. (MR)

  15. Activation of interfacial enzymes at membrane surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mouritsen, Ole G.; Andresen, Thomas Lars; Halperin, Avi

    2006-01-01

    A host of water-soluble enzymes are active at membrane surfaces and in association with membranes. Some of these enzymes are involved in signalling and in modification and remodelling of the membranes. A special class of enzymes, the phospholipases, and in particular secretory phospholipase A2 (s...

  16. Isolation and characterization of a cellulolytic actinomycete Microbispora bispora

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waldron, Jr, C R; Becker-Vallone, C A; Eveleigh, D E

    1986-09-01

    Protocols for the isolation of cellulolytic actinomycetes are described, and their use illustrated in the selection of thermophilic bacteria from soil. One isolate, Microbispora bispora, was selected for further study. It grew readily at 55/sup 0/C, produced an extracellular cellulase in good yield (endoglucanase, 5.9 U/ml) that had a broad pH range (pH 5.5 - 7.2) and was thermally stable. Its aryl-..beta..-glucosidase was cell-associated and was relatively resistant to end-product inhibition.

  17. Activity assessment of microbial fibrinolytic enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotb, Essam

    2013-08-01

    Conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin inside blood vessels results in thrombosis, leading to myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases. In general, there are four therapy options: surgical operation, intake of antiplatelets, anticoagulants, or fibrinolytic enzymes. Microbial fibrinolytic enzymes have attracted much more attention than typical thrombolytic agents because of the expensive prices and the side effects of the latter. The fibrinolytic enzymes were successively discovered from different microorganisms, the most important among which is the genus Bacillus. Microbial fibrinolytic enzymes, especially those from food-grade microorganisms, have the potential to be developed as functional food additives and drugs to prevent or cure thrombosis and other related diseases. There are several assay methods for these enzymes; this may due to the insolubility of substrate, fibrin. Existing assay methods can be divided into three major groups. The first group consists of assay of fibrinolytic activity with natural proteins as substrates, e.g., fibrin plate methods. The second and third groups of assays are suitable for kinetic studies and are based on the determination of hydrolysis of synthetic peptide esters. This review will deal primarily with the microorganisms that have been reported in literature to produce fibrinolytic enzymes and the first review discussing the methods used to assay the fibrinolytic activity.

  18. Detection of enzyme activity in decontaminated spices of industrial use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Müller, R.; Theobald, R.

    1995-01-01

    A range of decontaminated spices of industrial use have been examinated for their enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, amylase, lipase activity). The genuine enzymes remain fully active in irradiated spices, whereas the microbial load is clearly reduced. In contrast steam treated spices no longer demonstrate enzyme activities. Steam treatment offers e.g. black pepper without lipase activity, which can no longer cause fat deterioration. Low microbial load in combination with clearly detectable enzyme activity in spices is an indication for irradiation, whereas, reduced microbial contamination combined with enzyme inactivation indicate steam treatment of raw material [de

  19. Biochemical characterization of thermophilic lignocellulose degrading enzymes and their potential for biomass bioprocessing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zambare, Vasudeo; Zambare, Archana; Christopher, Lew P. [Center for Bioprocessing Research & Development, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City 57701, SD (United States); Muthukumarappan, Kasiviswanath [Center for Bioprocessing Research & Development, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007, SD (United States)

    2011-07-01

    A thermophilic microbial consortium (TMC) producing hydrolytic (cellulolytic and xylanolytic) enzymes was isolated from yard waste compost following enrichment with carboxymethyl cellulose and birchwood xylan. When grown on 5% lignocellulosic substrates (corn stover and prairie cord grass) at 60C, the thermophilic consortium produced more xylanase (up to 489 U/l on corn stover) than cellulase activity (up to 367 U/l on prairie cord grass). Except for the carboxymethyl cellulose-enriched consortium, thermo-mechanical extrusion pretreatment of these substrates had a positive effect on both activities with up to 13% and 21% increase in the xylanase and cellulase production, respectively. The optimum temperatures of the crude cellulase and xylanase were 60C and 70C with half-lives of 15 h and 18 h, respectively, suggesting higher thermostability for the TMC xylanase. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the crude enzyme exhibited protein bands of 25-77 kDa with multiple enzyme activities containing 3 cellulases and 3 xylanases. The substrate specificity declined in the following descending order: avicel>birchwood xylan>microcrystalline cellulose>filter paper>pine wood saw dust>carboxymethyl cellulose. The crude enzyme was 77% more active on insoluble than soluble cellulose. The Km and Vmax values were 36.49 mg/ml and 2.98 U/mg protein on avicel (cellulase), and 22.25 mg/ml and 2.09 U/mg protein, on birchwood xylan (xylanase). A total of 50 TMC isolates were screened for cellulase and xylanase secretion on agar plates. All single isolates showed significantly lower enzyme activities when compared to the thermophilic consortia. This is indicative of the strong synergistic interactions that exist within the thermophilic microbial consortium and enhance its hydrolytic capabilities. It was further demonstrated that the thermostable enzyme-generated lignocellulosic hydrolyzates can be fermented to bioethanol by a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli

  20. Cellulolytic activity of gut extract of subterranean termite ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Lignocellulosic biomass is a chief and cheap raw material for bioethanol production. However, pretreatment is a critical and most expensive step in lignocellulosic ... alternative for lignocellulosic biomass conversion using enzyme hydrolysis.

  1. Effect of irradiation on lysosomal enzyme activation in cultured macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarke, C.; Wills, E.D.

    1980-01-01

    The effect of γrays on lysosomal enzyme activity of normal and immune macrophages of DBA/2 mice cultured in vitro has been studied. A dose of 500 rad did not significantly affect lysosomal enzyme activity 3 hours after irradiation but caused the activity to increase to 1.4 times the control value 22.5 hours after irradiation. 22.5 hours after a dose of 3000 rad the enzyme activity increased to 2.5 times the control. Lysosomal enzyme activity of the macrophages was also markedly increased by immunization of the mice with D lymphoma cells, before culture in vitro, but irradiation of these cells with a dose of 500 rad caused a further increase in lysosomal enzyme activity. The results indicate that immunization and irradiation both cause stimulation of lysosomal enzyme activity in macrophages but that the mechanisms of activation are unlikely to be identical. (author)

  2. Enzyme specific activity in functionalized nanoporous supports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lei Chenghong; Soares, Thereza A; Shin, Yongsoon; Liu Jun; Ackerman, Eric J

    2008-01-01

    Here we reveal that enzyme specific activity can be increased substantially by changing the protein loading density (P LD ) in functionalized nanoporous supports so that the enzyme immobilization efficiency (I e , defined as the ratio of the specific activity of the immobilized enzyme to the specific activity of the free enzyme in solution) can be much higher than 100%. A net negatively charged glucose oxidase (GOX) and a net positively charged organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) were entrapped spontaneously in NH 2 - and HOOC-functionalized mesoporous silica (300 A, FMS) respectively. The specific activity of GOX entrapped in FMS increased with decreasing P LD . With decreasing P LD , I e of GOX in FMS increased from 150%. Unlike GOX, OPH in HOOC-FMS showed increased specific activity with increasing P LD . With increasing P LD , the corresponding I e of OPH in FMS increased from 100% to>200%. A protein structure-based analysis of the protein surface charges directing the electrostatic interaction-based orientation of the protein molecules in FMS demonstrates that substrate access to GOX molecules in FMS is limited at high P LD , consequently lowering the GOX specific activity. In contrast, substrate access to OPH molecules in FMS remains open at high P LD and may promote a more favorable confinement environment that enhances the OPH activity

  3. EVOLUTIONARY TRANSITIONS IN ENZYME ACTIVITY OF ANT FUNGUS GARDENS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    De Fine Licht, Henrik H; Schiøtt, Morten; Mueller, Ulrich G

    2010-01-01

    an association with a monophyletic clade of specialized symbionts. In conjunction with the transition to specialized symbionts, the ants advanced in colony size and social complexity. Here we provide a comparative study of the functional specialization in extracellular enzyme activities in fungus gardens across...... the attine phylogeny. We show that, relative to sister clades, gardens of higher-attine ants have enhanced activity of protein-digesting enzymes, whereas gardens of leaf-cutting ants also have increased activity of starch-digesting enzymes. However, the enzyme activities of lower-attine fungus gardens...... are targeted primarily towards partial degradation of plant cell walls, reflecting a plesiomorphic state of non-domesticated fungi. The enzyme profiles of the higher-attine and leaf-cutting gardens appear particularly suited to digest fresh plant materials and to access nutrients from live cells without major...

  4. Cellulolytic and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens bacteria population density, after supplementing fodder diets (Pennisetum clandestinum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Licet Molina G

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective. Determine the population density of cellulolytic bacteria, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and the concentration of vaccenic acid, by supplementing diets consisting of kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum Hoechst. Ex Chiov. as base ingredient, together with cassava flour and biomass (effluent from ethanol production in rumen simulator-Rusitec. Materials and methods. Four treatments (T were evaluated, these were composed as: T1/Control 1: 100% kikuyu grass with a total protein intake of 23.9%, T2: a mixture of 70% kikuyu grass, 20% biomass and 10% cassava flour with a total protein intake of 19.4%; T3/Control 2: 100% kikuyu grass, with a 17.8% protein intake and T4: 70% kikuyu grass, 20% biomass and 10% cassava flour with a 15.3% protein intake. One and two-way variance analysis was made and the Pearson correlation coefficient was determined. Results. An increase was observed in the population density of viable cellulolytic bacteria (CFU/ml and B. fibrisolvens statistically significant (p<0.005 with treatment T2, in contrast to T1, T3 and T4 treatments. In addition, there was a significant increase in the concentration of vaccenic acid (mg/L in the ruminal content in Rusitec with the same treatment (T2. Conclusions. Results obtained in this ruminal simulation study are evidence to the benefits of kikuyu grass together with cassava flour and biomass diet implementation on the growth of ruminal cellulolytic and B. fibrisolvens bacteria, as well as on the production of vaccenic acid. The study also suggests the nutritional potential that such supplements could provide to grazing bovine feeding.

  5. Detection of Extracellular Enzyme Activities in Ganoderma neo-japonicum

    OpenAIRE

    Jo, Woo-Sik; Park, Ha-Na; Cho, Doo-Hyun; Yoo, Young-Bok; Park, Seung-Chun

    2011-01-01

    The ability of Ganoderma to produce extracellular enzymes, including β-glucosidase, cellulase, avicelase, pectinase, xylanase, protease, amylase, and ligninase was tested in chromogenic media. β-glucosidase showed the highest activity, among the eight tested enzymes. In particular, Ganoderma neo-japonicum showed significantly stronger activity for β-glucosidase than that of the other enzymes. Two Ganoderma lucidum isolates showed moderate activity for avicelase; however, Ganoderma neo-japonic...

  6. An appraisal of the enzyme stability-activity trade-off.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Scott R

    2017-07-01

    A longstanding idea in evolutionary physiology is that an enzyme cannot jointly optimize performance at both high and low temperatures due to a trade-off between stability and activity. Although a stability-activity trade-off has been observed for well-characterized examples, such a trade-off is not imposed by any physical chemical constraint. To better understand the pervasiveness of this trade-off, I investigated the stability-activity relationship for comparative biochemical studies of purified orthologous enzymes identified by a literature search. The nature of this relationship varied greatly among studies. Notably, studies of enzymes with low mean synonymous nucleotide sequence divergence were less likely to exhibit the predicted negative correlation between stability and activity. Similarly, a survey of directed evolution investigations of the stability-activity relationship indicated that these traits are often uncoupled among nearly identical yet phenotypically divergent enzymes. This suggests that the presumptive trade-off often reported for investigations of enzymes with high mean sequence divergence may in some cases instead be a consequence of the degeneration over time of enzyme function in unselected environments, rather than a direct effect of thermal adaptation. The results caution against the general assertion of a stability-activity trade-off during enzyme adaptation. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  7. Extracellular enzyme activity assay as indicator of soil microbial functional diversity and activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hendriksen, Niels Bohse; Winding, Anne

    2012-01-01

    Extracellular enzyme activity assay as indicator of soil microbial functional diversity and activity Niels Bohse Hendriksen, Anne Winding. Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark Soils provide numerous essential ecosystem services such as carbon cycling...... of soil microbial functions is still needed. In soil, enzymes originate from a variety of organisms, notably fungi and bacteria and especially hydrolytic extracellular enzymes are of pivotal importance for decomposition of organic substrates and biogeochemical cycling. Their activity will reflect...... the functional diversity and activity of the microorganisms involved in decomposition processes. Their activity has been measured by the use of fluorogenic model substrates e.g. methylumbelliferyl (MUF) substrates for a number of enzymes involved in the degradation of polysacharides as cellulose, hemicellulose...

  8. Purification and characterization of an endoglucanase from the marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chun, C Z; Hur, S B; Kim, Y T

    1997-10-01

    The marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, is able to digest Chlorella efficiently, suggesting that the rotifer contains a powerful cellulolytic enzyme system. A multi-component cellulolytic complex, including endoglucanase (CM-cellulase), cellobiohydrolase and beta-glucosidase, was found in Brachionus plicatilis. Endoglucanase (endo-beta-1,4 glucanase) was purified to homogeneity from rotifer homogenates using a sequential chromatographic method. The purified enzyme exhibits a strong hydrolytic activity with carboxymethyl(CM)-cellulose. The optimum temperature and pH for the endoglucanase activity were 37 degrees C and 7.0, respectively. 80% of the CM-cellulase activity was retained in salt mixture that ranged from 150 to 500 mM NaCl equivalent. The purified protein was isolated with a molecular weight of approximately 62 kDa estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

  9. Descriptive and predictive assessment of enzyme activity and enzyme related processes in biorefinery using IR spectroscopy and chemometrics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baum, Andreas

    the understanding of the structural properties of the extracted pectin. Secondly, enzyme kinetics of biomass converting enzymes was examined in terms of measuring enzyme activity by spectral evolution profiling utilizing FTIR. Chemometric multiway methods were used to analyze the tensor datasets enabling the second......-order calibration advantage (reference Theory of Analytical chemistry). As PAPER 3 illustrates the method is universally applicable without the need of any external standards and was exemplified by performing quantitative enzyme activity determinations for glucose oxidase, pectin lyase and a cellolytic enzyme blend...... (Celluclast 1.5L). In PAPER 4, the concept is extended to quantify enzyme activity of two simultaneously acting enzymes, namely pectin lyase and pectin methyl esterase. By doing so the multiway methods PARAFAC, TUCKER3 and NPLS were compared and evaluated towards accuracy and precision....

  10. General discussion about enzymes activities of radiation injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vucicevic, M.; Sukalo, I.

    1989-01-01

    Researching reliable and practical indicators of radiation injury, however, is very interesting and considerable department of scientific studies, practical and theoretical. Enzymes activities are among biochemical indicators which are changed after radiation injury. Activity of these specific proteins is important in regulation of every biochemical reaction in existing beings. Biological macromolecules can be damaged by radiation or the cell permeability can be changed. All of these influence directly on enzymes activities. In this paper we present the review of the all important enzymes, indicators of the radiation injury, which variances on reference to normal values are significant of the functional and the structural changes of essential organs (author)

  11. General discussion about enzymes activities of radiation injury

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vucicevic, M; Sukalo, I [Institute of Nuclear Sciences Boris Kidric, Vinca, Beograd (Serbia and Montenegro)

    1989-07-01

    Researching reliable and practical indicators of radiation injury, however, is very interesting and considerable department of scientific studies, practical and theoretical. Enzymes activities are among biochemical indicators which are changed after radiation injury. Activity of these specific proteins is important in regulation of every biochemical reaction in existing beings. Biological macromolecules can be damaged by radiation or the cell permeability can be changed. All of these influence directly on enzymes activities. In this paper we present the review of the all important enzymes, indicators of the radiation injury, which variances on reference to normal values are significant of the functional and the structural changes of essential organs (author)

  12. Actinomycete enzymes and activities involved in straw saccharification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCarthy, A J; Ball, A S [Liverpool Univ. (UK). Dept. of Genetics and Microbiology

    1990-01-01

    This research programme has been directed towards the analysis of actinomycete enzyme systems involved in the degradation of plant biomass (lignocellulose.) The programme was innovative in that a novel source of enzymes was systematically screened and wheat straw saccharifying activity was the test criterion. Over 200 actinomycete strains representing a broad taxonomic range were screened. A range of specific enzyme activities were involved and included cellulase, xylanase, arabinofuranosidase, acetylesterase, {beta}-xylosidase and {beta}-glucosidase. Since hemicellulose (arabinoxylan) was the primary source of sugar, xylanases were characterized. The xylan-degrading systems of actinomycetes were complex and nonuniform, with up to six separate endoxylanases identified in active strains. Except for microbispora bispora, actinomycetes were found to be a poor source of cellulase activity. Evidence for activity against the lignin fraction of straw was produced for a range of actinomycete strains. While modification reactions were common, cleavage of inter-monomer bonds, and utilization of complex polyphenolic compounds were restricted to two strains: Thermomonospora mesophila and Streptomyces badius. Crude enzyme preparations from actinomycetes can be used to generate sugar, particularly pentoses, directly from cereal straw. The potential for improvements in yield rests with the formulation to cooperative enzyme combinations from different strains. The stability properties of enzymes from thermophilic strains and the general neutral to alkali pH optima offer advantages in certain process situations. Actinomycetes are a particularly rich source of xylanases for commercial application and can rapidly solubilise a lignocarbohydrate fraction of straw which may have both product and pretreatment potential. 31 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.

  13. Development of eco-friendly process for the production of bioethanol from banana peel using inhouse developed cocktail of thermo-alkali-stable depolymerizing enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, Heena; Chauhan, Prakram Singh; General, Thiyam; Sharma, A K

    2018-03-29

    Conversion of agro-industrial wastes to energy is an innovative approach for waste valorization and management which also mitigates environmental pollution. In this view, present study investigated the feasibility of producing bioethanol from banana peels using cocktail of depolymerizing enzyme/s. We isolated Geobacillus stearothermophilus HPA19 from natural resource which produces cocktail of thermo-alkali-stable xylano-pectino-cellulolytic enzyme/s using wheat bran within 24 h. The optimal temperature and pH for xylanase, filter paper cellulase and pectinase were 80, 70 and 80 °C, and 9.0, 8.0 and 9.0, respectively. Cocktail enzymes showed stability at high temperature (80 °C) and pH (10.0). Ni 2+ and Zn 2+ promoted the relative activity of xylanase and FPase, whereas Na + , Ca 2+ and K + promoted pectinase activity. Cocktail was assessed in saccharification of banana peel. Reducing sugar obtained (37.06 mg ml -1 ) after one variable at a time (OVAT) method is greatly influenced by enzyme dose. Further, response surface methodology was used to optimize saccharification leading to twofold increase in reducing sugar. Maximum ethanol production (21.1 gl -1 ) was achieved through fermentation giving the efficiency of 76.5% within 30 h. Hence utilization of waste biomass for production of value-added products through biotechnological intervention not only helps to combat environmental pollution but also contributes significantly to the economy.

  14. Genomics of aerobic cellulose utilization systems in actinobacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iain Anderson

    Full Text Available Cellulose degrading enzymes have important functions in the biotechnology industry, including the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. Anaerobes including Clostridium species organize cellulases and other glycosyl hydrolases into large complexes known as cellulosomes. In contrast, aerobic actinobacteria utilize systems comprised of independently acting enzymes, often with carbohydrate binding domains. Numerous actinobacterial genomes have become available through the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA project. We identified putative cellulose-degrading enzymes belonging to families GH5, GH6, GH8, GH9, GH12, GH48, and GH51 in the genomes of eleven members of the actinobacteria. The eleven organisms were tested in several assays for cellulose degradation, and eight of the organisms showed evidence of cellulase activity. The three with the highest cellulase activity were Actinosynnema mirum, Cellulomonas flavigena, and Xylanimonas cellulosilytica. Cellobiose is known to induce cellulolytic enzymes in the model organism Thermobifida fusca, but only Nocardiopsis dassonvillei showed higher cellulolytic activity in the presence of cellobiose. In T. fusca, cellulases and a putative cellobiose ABC transporter are regulated by the transcriptional regulator CelR. Nine organisms appear to use the CelR site or a closely related binding site to regulate an ABC transporter. In some, CelR also regulates cellulases, while cellulases are controlled by different regulatory sites in three organisms. Mining of genome data for cellulose degradative enzymes followed by experimental verification successfully identified several actinobacteria species which were not previously known to degrade cellulose as cellulolytic organisms.

  15. Thermodynamic Activity-Based Progress Curve Analysis in Enzyme Kinetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pleiss, Jürgen

    2018-03-01

    Macrokinetic Michaelis-Menten models based on thermodynamic activity provide insights into enzyme kinetics because they separate substrate-enzyme from substrate-solvent interactions. Kinetic parameters are estimated from experimental progress curves of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Three pitfalls are discussed: deviations between thermodynamic and concentration-based models, product effects on the substrate activity coefficient, and product inhibition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Immobilized enzyme reactor chromatography: Optimization of protein retention and enzyme activity in monolithic silica stationary phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besanger, Travis R.; Hodgson, Richard J.; Green, James R.A.; Brennan, John D.

    2006-01-01

    Our group recently reported on the application of protein-doped monolithic silica columns for immobilized enzyme reactor chromatography, which allowed screening of enzyme inhibitors present in mixtures using mass spectrometry for detection. The enzyme was immobilized by entrapment within a bimodal meso/macroporous silica material prepared by a biocompatible sol-gel processing route. While such columns proved to be useful for applications such as screening of protein-ligand interactions, significant amounts of entrapped proteins leached from the columns owing to the high proportion of macropores within the materials. Herein, we describe a detailed study of factors affecting the morphology of protein-doped bioaffinity columns and demonstrate that specific pH values and concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) can be used to prepare essentially mesoporous columns that retain over 80% of initially loaded enzyme in an active and accessible form and yet still retain sufficient porosity to allow pressure-driven flow in the low μL/min range. Using the enzyme γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), we further evaluated the catalytic constants of the enzyme entrapped in capillary columns with different silica morphologies as a function of flowrate and backpressure using the enzyme reactor assay mode. It was found that the apparent activity of the enzyme was highest in mesoporous columns that retained high levels of enzyme. In such columns, enzyme activity increased by ∼2-fold with increases in both flowrate (from 250 to 1000 nL/min) and backpressure generated (from 500 to 2100 psi) during the chromatographic activity assay owing to increases in k cat and decreases in K M , switching from diffusion controlled to reaction controlled conditions at ca. 2000 psi. These results suggest that columns with minimal macropore volumes (<5%) are advantageous for the entrapment of soluble proteins for bioaffinity and bioreactor chromatography

  17. Inhibition of existing denitrification enzyme activity by chloramphenicol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, M.H.; Smith, R.L.; Macalady, D.L.

    1992-01-01

    Chloramphenicol completely inhibited the activity of existing denitrification enzymes in acetylene-block incubations with (i) sediments from a nitrate-contaminated aquifer and (ii) a continuous culture of denitrifying groundwater bacteria. Control flasks with no antibiotic produced significant amounts of nitrous oxide in the same time period. Amendment with chloramphenicol after nitrous oxide production had begun resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of nitrous oxide production. Chloramphenicol also decreased (>50%) the activity of existing denitrification enzymes in pure cultures of Pseudomonas denitrificans that were harvested during log- phase growth and maintained for 2 weeks in a starvation medium lacking electron donor. Short-term time courses of nitrate consumption and nitrous oxide production in the presence of acetylene with P. denitrificans undergoing carbon starvation were performed under optimal conditions designed to mimic denitrification enzyme activity assays used with soils. Time courses were linear for both chloramphenicol and control flasks, and rate estimates for the two treatments were significantly different at the 95% confidence level. Complete or partial inhibition of existing enzyme activity is not consistent with the current understanding of the mode of action of chloramphenicol or current practice, in which the compound is frequently employed to inhibit de novo protein synthesis during the course of microbial activity assays. The results of this study demonstrate that chloramphenicol amendment can inhibit the activity of existing denitrification enzymes and suggest that caution is needed in the design and interpretation of denitrification activity assays in which chloramphenicol is used to prevent new protein synthesis.

  18. Modification of polymer surfaces to enhance enzyme activity and stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Christian

    Enzyme immobilization is an important concept for the development of improved biocatalytic processes, primarily through facilitated separation procedures. However, enzyme immobilization usually comes at a price of reduced biocatalytic activity. For this reason, different immobilization methods have...... already been developed, combining the same goal to improve enzyme activity, stability and selectivity. Polymer materials have shown, due to their easy processibility and versatile properties, high potential as enzyme support. However, in order to achieve improved enzyme performance, the combination...... on their tailored surface modification in order to obtain improved enzyme-support systems. Firstly, an off-stoichiometric thiol-ene (OSTE) thermosetting material was used for the development of a screening platform allowing the investigation of micro-environmental effects and their impact on the activity...

  19. Spatial heterogeneity of cellulolytic activity and fungal communities within individual decomposing Quercus petraea leaves

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Navrátilová, Diana; Větrovský, Tomáš; Baldrian, Petr

    27 Part A, JUNE (2017), s. 125-133 ISSN 1754-5048 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-06763S; GA MŠk(CZ) LD15086 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Cellulose decomposition * Cellobiohydrolase * Enzyme activity Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 3.219, year: 2016

  20. Secretome analysis of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger cultivated by submerged and sequential fermentation processes: Enzyme production for sugarcane bagasse hydrolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florencio, Camila; Cunha, Fernanda M; Badino, Alberto C; Farinas, Cristiane S; Ximenes, Eduardo; Ladisch, Michael R

    2016-08-01

    Cellulases and hemicellulases from Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger have been shown to be powerful enzymes for biomass conversion to sugars, but the production costs are still relatively high for commercial application. The choice of an effective microbial cultivation process employed for enzyme production is important, since it may affect titers and the profile of protein secretion. We used proteomic analysis to characterize the secretome of T. reesei and A. niger cultivated in submerged and sequential fermentation processes. The information gained was key to understand differences in hydrolysis of steam exploded sugarcane bagasse for enzyme cocktails obtained from two different cultivation processes. The sequential process for cultivating A. niger gave xylanase and β-glucosidase activities 3- and 8-fold higher, respectively, than corresponding activities from the submerged process. A greater protein diversity of critical cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes were also observed through secretome analyses. These results helped to explain the 3-fold higher yield for hydrolysis of non-washed pretreated bagasse when combined T. reesei and A. niger enzyme extracts from sequential fermentation were used in place of enzymes obtained from submerged fermentation. An enzyme loading of 0.7 FPU cellulase activity/g glucan was surprisingly effective when compared to the 5-15 times more enzyme loadings commonly reported for other cellulose hydrolysis studies. Analyses showed that more than 80% consisted of proteins other than cellulases whose role is important to the hydrolysis of a lignocellulose substrate. Our work combined proteomic analyses and enzymology studies to show that sequential and submerged cultivation methods differently influence both titers and secretion profile of key enzymes required for the hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse. The higher diversity of feruloyl esterases, xylanases and other auxiliary hemicellulolytic enzymes observed in the enzyme

  1. ENZYME ACTIVITIES OF PADDY SOILS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SOIL PROPERTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rıdvan KIZILKAYA

    1998-03-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the effect of soil properties on enzyme activities of paddy soils, the sample of which were taken from Üçpınar, Harız, Doğancı, Kaygusuz, Emenli, Sarıköy and Gelemenağarı villages where rice cultivation is an intensive agricultural system. In this study, soil properties having effects on urease, phosphatase, ß-glucosidase and catalase enzyme activities were setforth. Urease enzyme activities of soil samples varied from 24.12 to 39.03 mg N 100 g dry soil -1 . Significant correlations were determined between urease enzyme activities and organic matter (r = 0.89**, extractable Mn (r = 0.74**, exchangable K (r = 0.73** and total P content of soil (r = 0.81*. Acid phosphatase enzyme activity varied between 3.00-17.44 mg phenol 100 g dry soil -1 , alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity between 12.00-25.53 mg phenol 100 g dry soil-1 . Exchangable Mg (r = 0.71* and extractable Cu (r = 0.74* were found to have positive effect on acid phosphatase enzyme activity and pH (r = 0.73*, exchangable Ca (r = 0.74*, exchangable Mg (r = 0.71*, exchangable total basic cations (r = 0.79* and extractable Cu (r = 0.70* had positive effects on alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity, whereas total P (r = - 0.84** affected the activity negatively. ß-glucosidase enzyme activity was measured to vary between 1.12-3.64 mg salingen 100 g dry soil -1 . It was also observed that extractable Zn content of soil samples (r = - 0.97** had negative effect on ß-glucosidase activity, wheras total exchangable acidic cations (r = 0.70* affected the activity positively. Catalase enzyme activities of soils changed between 5.25 - 9.00 mg O2 5 g dry soil -1 . Significant correlations were found between catalase activities and fraction of soils and extractable Fe content. Positive correlations, however, were determined between catalase activities and clay fraction (r = 0.82* and salt content (r = 0.83** of samples.

  2. Finding Biomass Degrading Enzymes Through an Activity-Correlated Quantitative Proteomics Platform (ACPP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Hongyan; Delafield, Daniel G.; Wang, Zhe; You, Jianlan; Wu, Si

    2017-04-01

    The microbial secretome, known as a pool of biomass (i.e., plant-based materials) degrading enzymes, can be utilized to discover industrial enzyme candidates for biofuel production. Proteomics approaches have been applied to discover novel enzyme candidates through comparing protein expression profiles with enzyme activity of the whole secretome under different growth conditions. However, the activity measurement of each enzyme candidate is needed for confident "active" enzyme assignments, which remains to be elucidated. To address this challenge, we have developed an Activity-Correlated Quantitative Proteomics Platform (ACPP) that systematically correlates protein-level enzymatic activity patterns and protein elution profiles using a label-free quantitative proteomics approach. The ACPP optimized a high performance anion exchange separation for efficiently fractionating complex protein samples while preserving enzymatic activities. The detected enzymatic activity patterns in sequential fractions using microplate-based assays were cross-correlated with protein elution profiles using a customized pattern-matching algorithm with a correlation R-score. The ACPP has been successfully applied to the identification of two types of "active" biomass-degrading enzymes (i.e., starch hydrolysis enzymes and cellulose hydrolysis enzymes) from Aspergillus niger secretome in a multiplexed fashion. By determining protein elution profiles of 156 proteins in A. niger secretome, we confidently identified the 1,4-α-glucosidase as the major "active" starch hydrolysis enzyme (R = 0.96) and the endoglucanase as the major "active" cellulose hydrolysis enzyme (R = 0.97). The results demonstrated that the ACPP facilitated the discovery of bioactive enzymes from complex protein samples in a high-throughput, multiplexing, and untargeted fashion.

  3. The Activity of Cellulase from Thermophilic Fungi Isolated from CaneBagasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aris-Toharisman; Akyunul-Jannah

    2000-01-01

    The activity of cellulase from thermophilic fungi isolated from canebagasses has been measured. This wild strain, named fungal strain PJ-2,secreted a large amount of cellulolytic enzyme components consisting of 0.46units of avicelase, 0.8 units of carboxymethyl cellulose hydrolizing enzyme(CMCase) and 0.5 units of β-glucosidase per ml of culture broth oncultivation in Mandels Reese medium for 7 days at 500 o C. These cellulasesproduction was lower than that of Trichoderma reesei NRRL 3653 producing 0.5units/ml avicelase, 1.6 units/ml CMCase and 0.4 units/ml ofβ-glucosidase cultivated in the same medium at 30 o C. However,thermophilic fungi may be potential to be exploited in lignocellulosedegradation at the tropical areas as the process usually needs temperature ofabove 50 o C. (author)

  4. Microbial Enzyme Activity and Carbon Cycling in Grassland Soil Fractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allison, S. D.; Jastrow, J. D.

    2004-12-01

    Extracellular enzymes are necessary to degrade complex organic compounds present in soils. Using physical fractionation procedures, we tested whether old soil carbon is spatially isolated from degradative enzymes across a prairie restoration chronosequence in Illinois, USA. We found that carbon-degrading enzymes were abundant in all soil fractions, including macroaggregates, microaggregates, and the clay fraction, which contains carbon with a mean residence time of ~200 years. The activities of two cellulose-degrading enzymes and a chitin-degrading enzyme were 2-10 times greater in organic matter fractions than in bulk soil, consistent with the rapid turnover of these fractions. Polyphenol oxidase activity was 3 times greater in the clay fraction than in the bulk soil, despite very slow carbon turnover in this fraction. Changes in enzyme activity across the restoration chronosequence were small once adjusted for increases in soil carbon concentration, although polyphenol oxidase activity per unit carbon declined by 50% in native prairie versus cultivated soil. These results are consistent with a `two-pool' model of enzyme and carbon turnover in grassland soils. In light organic matter fractions, enzyme production and carbon turnover both occur rapidly. However, in mineral-dominated fractions, both enzymes and their carbon substrates are immobilized on mineral surfaces, leading to slow turnover. Soil carbon accumulation in the clay fraction and across the prairie restoration chronosequence probably reflects increasing physical isolation of enzymes and substrates on the molecular scale, rather than the micron to millimeter scale.

  5. Isolation and characterization of Caldicellulosiruptor lactoaceticus sp. nov., an extremely thermophilic, cellulolytic, anaerobic bacterium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mladenovska, Zuzana; Mathrani, Indra M.; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

    1995-01-01

    An anaerobic, extremely thermophilic, cellulolytic, non-spore-forming bacterium, strain 6A, was isolated from an alkaline hot spring in Hverageroi, Iceland. The bacterium was non-motile, rod-shaped (1.5-3.5 x 0.7 mu m) and occurred singly, in pairs or in chains and stained gram-negative. The growth...

  6. Sample handling factors affecting the enumeration of lactobacilli and cellulolytic bacteria in equine feces

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objectives were to compare media types and evaluate the effects of fecal storage time and temperature on the enumeration of cellulolytic bacteria and lactobacilli from horses. Fecal samples were collected from horses (n = 3) and transported to the lab (CO2, 37 ºC, 0.5 h). The samples were assign...

  7. Enzyme hydration, activity and flexibility : A neutron scattering approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurkal-Siebert, V.; Finney, J.L.; Daniel, R.M.; Smith, Jeremy C.

    2006-01-01

    Recent measurements have demonstrated enzyme activity at hydrations as low as 3%. The question of whether the hydration-induced enzyme flexibility is important for activity is addressed by performing picosecond dynamic neutron scattering experiments on pig liver esterase powders at various temperatures as well as solutions. At all temperatures and hydrations investigated here, significant quasielastic scattering intensity is found in the protein, indicating the presence of anharmonic, diffusive motion. As the hydration increases a temperature-dependent dynamical transition appears and strengthens involving additional diffusive motion. At low temperature, increasing hydration resulted in lower flexibility of the enzyme. At higher temperatures, systems containing sufficient number of water molecules interacting with the protein exhibit increased flexibility. The implication of these results is that, although the additional hydration-induced diffusive motion and flexibility at high temperatures in the enzyme detected here may be related to increased activity, they are not required for the enzyme to function

  8. Isolation of a tyrosine-activating enzyme from baker's yeast

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ven, A.M. van de; Koningsberger, V.V.; Overbeek, J.Th.G.

    1958-01-01

    The extracts of ether-CO2-frozen baker's yeast contain enzymes that catalyze the ATP-linked amino acid activation by way of pyrophosphate elimination. From the extract a tyrosine-activating enzyme could be isolated, which, judging from ultracentrifugation and electrophoretic data, was about 70% pure

  9. Distribution of enzyme activity hotspots induced by earthworms in top- and subsoil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoang, D. T. T.

    2016-12-01

    Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris L.) not only affect soil physics, but they also boost microbial activities and consequently create important hotspots of microbial mediated carbon and nutrient turnover through their burrowing activity. However, it is still unknown to which extend earthworms change the enzyme distribution and activity inside their burrows in top- and subsoil horizons. We hypothesized that earthworm burrows, which are enriched in available substrates, have higher percentage of enzyme activity hotspots than soil without earthworms, and that enzyme activities decreased with increasing depth because of the increasing recalcitrance of organic matter in subsoil. We visualized enzyme distribution inside and outside of worm burrows (biopores) by in situ soil zymography and measured enzyme kinetics of 6 enzymes - β-glucosidase (GLU), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), xylanase (XYL), chitinase (NAG), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and acid phosphatase (APT) - in pore and bulk soil material up to 105 cm. Zymography showed a heterogeneous distribution of hotspots in worm burrows. The hotspot areas was 2.4 to 14 times larger in the burrows than in soil without earthworms. However, the dispersion index of hotspot distribution showed more aggregated hotspots in soil without earthworms than in soil with earthworms and burrow wall. Enzyme activities decreased with depth, by a factor of 2 to 8 due to fresh C input from the soil surface. Compared to bulk soil, enzyme activities in topsoil biopores were up to 11 times higher for all enzymes, but in the subsoil activities of XYL, NAG and APT were lower in earthworm biopores than bulk soil. In conclusion, hotspots were twice as concentrated close to earthworm burrows as in surrounding soil. Earthworms exerted stronger effects on enzyme activities in biopores in the topsoil than in subsoil. Keywords: Earthworms, hotspots, enzyme activities, enzyme distribution, subsoil

  10. Chaperone-like activities of α-synuclein: α-Synuclein assists enzyme activities of esterases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Misun; Kim, SeungBum; Kang, Mira; Ryu, Yeonwoo; Doohun Kim, T.

    2006-01-01

    α-Synuclein, a major constituent of Lewy bodies (LBs), has been implicated to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), although the physiological function of α-synuclein has not yet been known. Here we have shown that α-synuclein, which has no well-defined secondary or tertiary structure, can protect the enzyme activity of microbial esterases against stress conditions such as heat, pH, and organic solvents. In particular, the flexibility of α-synuclein and its C-terminal region seems to be important for complex formation, but the structural integrity of the C-terminal region may not be required for stabilization of enzyme activity. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and in vivo enzyme assays showed highly specific interactions of esterases with α-synuclein. Our results indicate that α-synuclein not only protects the enzyme activity of microbial esterases in vitro, but also can stabilize the active conformation of microbial esterases in vivo

  11. Influence of 2. 45 GHz microwave radiation on enzyme activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galvin, M J; Parks, D L; McRee, D I

    1981-05-01

    The in vitro activity of acetylcholinesterase and creatine phosphokinase was determined during in vitro exposure to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation. The enzyme activities were examined during exposure to microwave radiation at specific absorption rates (SAR) of 1, 10, 50, and 100 mW/g. These specific absorption rates had no effect on the activity of either enzyme when the temperature of the control and exposed samples were similar. These data demonstrate that the activity of these two enzymes is not affected by microwave radiation at the SARs and frequency employed in this study.

  12. HPRT Enzyme Activity of Blood Cells From Patients With Downs Syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sbubber, E.K.; Abdul-Rahman, M.H.; Sultan, A.F.; Hamamy, H.A.

    1998-01-01

    Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) enzyme activity was determined in erythrocytes from 16 children (aged below one year to 11 year) with down s syndrome using 8-C 14 Hypoxanthine and radioeleelrophorsis techniques. Significant (P<0.01) reduction in HPRT enzyme activity was seen in D S children compared to that of 18 (age and sex matched) healthy children. Pure 21 - trisomic erythrocytes expressed lower enzyme activity than mosaic cell. Mothers of D S children showed significantly (P<0.01) lower enzyme activity than mothers of normal children . Reduced activity of HPRT enzyme was also observed in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes of DS children and their mothers. These results indicated that deficiency of HPRT in D S patients may contribute to the abnormal purine metabolism associated with the symptomatology of this syndrome

  13. Saccharification of Sugarcane Bagasse by Enzymatic Treatment for bioethanol production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed, F. M.

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Aims: The escalating demands for traditional fossil fuels with unsecured deliverance and issues of climate change compel the researchers to develop alternative fuels like bioethanol. This study examines the prospect of biofuel production from high carbohydrate containing lignocellulosic material, e.g. sugarcane bagasse through biological means. Methodology and Results: Cellulolytic enzymes were collected from the culture filtrate of thermotolerant Trichodermaviride grown on variously pre-treated sugarcane bagasse. CMCase and FPase enzyme activities were determined as a measure of suitable substrate pre-treatment and optimum condition for cellulolytic enzyme production. The highest CMCase and FPase activity was found to be 1.217 U/ml and 0.109 U/ml respectively under the production conditions of 200 rpm, pH 4.0 and 50 °C using steamed NaOH treated bagasse as substrate. SEM was carried out to compare and confirm the activity of cellulolytic enzymes on sugarcane bagasse. Saccharification of pre-treated bagasse was carried out with crude enzymes together using a two-factor experimental design. Under optimized conditions the pre-treated bagasse was saccharified up to 42.7 % in 24 h. The hydrolysate was concentrated by heating to suitable concentration and then used for fermentation by an indigenous isolate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. With 50 and 80 % brix containing liquor the concentration of alcohol was 0.579 % and 1.15 % respectively. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: This is the first report in Bangladesh for the production of cellulosicethanol using local isolates. Though the rate of alcohol production was very low, a great impetus in this field can maximize the production thereby meet the demand for fuel in future.

  14. Isolation of Cellulolytic Bacteria and Characterization of the Enzyme

    OpenAIRE

    Nisa Rachmania; Titi Candra Sunarti; Besty Maranatha; Wahyu Widosari; Anja Meryandini; Hasrul Satria

    2009-01-01

    Four of cellulolitic bacteria isolates had beencharacterized. The determination of cellulase activity was conducted at the highest production time, using crudeenzymes with the modification of Miller methods (1959) on pure cellulose substrates such as CMC (Carboxymethylcellulose), Avicel and Filter paper Whatman No. 1 as well as agriculture waste such as rice straw, corn cob and bananapeel. Cellulase from C4-4, C5-1, C5-3 and C11-1 showed optimum activity at pH 5, 70°C, pH 3.5, 90°C, pH 5, 80°...

  15. Chaperone-Like Activity of ß-Casein and Its Effect on Residual in Vitro Activity of Food Enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sulewska, Anna Maria

    ABSTRACT Activity of endogenous enzymes may cause browning of fruits and vegetables. These enzymes can be inactivated, for example by heat treatment, but the response of enzymes to heat treatment depends on many factors. Foods are very complex systems and the stability of enzymes......-casein on the enzymatic activity of three targets was tested by monitoring enzyme activity after heat treatment and by measuring the intensity of scattered light during and after heat treatment. β-Casein was shown to interact at elevated temperatures with three selected targets:horseradish peroxidase, tyrosinase from......, residual activity of horseradish peroxidase was lower in samples containing BSA than in samples without any addition. Horseradish peroxidase heated with BSA did not regain activity within one hour after treatment. BSA is often added to enzyme solutions to prevent enzyme adhesion to vial surfaces...

  16. Concentration profiles near an activated enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Soohyung; Agmon, Noam

    2008-09-25

    When a resting enzyme is activated, substrate concentration profile evolves in its vicinity, ultimately tending to steady state. We use modern theories for many-body effects on diffusion-influenced reactions to derive approximate analytical expressions for the steady-state profile and the Laplace transform of the transient concentration profiles. These show excellent agreement with accurate many-particle Brownian-dynamics simulations for the Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The steady-state profile has a hyperbolic dependence on the distance of the substrate from the enzyme, albeit with a prefactor containing the complexity of the many-body effects. These are most conspicuous for the substrate concentration at the surface of the enzyme. It shows an interesting transition as a function of the enzyme turnover rate. When it is high, the contact concentration decays monotonically to steady state. However, for slow turnover it is nonmonotonic, showing a minimum due to reversible substrate binding, then a maximum due to diffusion of new substrate toward the enzyme, and finally decay to steady state. Under certain conditions one can obtain a good estimate for the critical value of the turnover rate constant at the transition.

  17. Extraction of Active Enzymes from "Hard-to-Break-Cells"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ottaviani, Alessio; Tesauro, Cinzia; Fjelstrup, S

    We present the utilization of a rolling circle amplification (RCA) based assay to investigate the extraction efficiency of active enzymes from a class of “hard-to-break” cells, yeast Saccaramyces cerevisiae. Current analyses of microorganisms, such as pathogenic bacteria, parasites or particular...... life stages of microorganisms (e.g. spores from bacteria or fungi) is hampered by the lack of efficient lysis protocols that preserve the activity and integrity of the cellular content. Presented herein is a flexible scheme to screen lysis protocols for active enzyme extraction. We also report a gentle...... yet effective approach for extraction of active enzymes by entrapping cells in microdroplets. Combined effort of optimized extraction protocols and effective analytical approaches is expected to generate impact in future disease diagnosis and environmental safety....

  18. Stimulation of Escherichia coli DNA photoreactivating enzyme activity by adenosine 5'-triphosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koka, P.

    1984-01-01

    A purification procedure consisting of Biorex-70, single-stranded DNA-agarose, and ultraviolet (UV) light irradiated DNA-cellulose chromatography has been adopted for the Escherichia coli photoreactivating enzyme, to obtain enzyme preparations that are free of extraneous nucleic acid or nucleotides. The purification yields high specific activities (75 000 pmol h -1 mg -1 ) with a 50% recovery. Enzyme preparations have also been obtained from UV-irradiated DNA-cellulose by exposure to visible light. These enzyme preparations contain oligoribonucleotides, up to 26 nucleotides in length in relation to DNA size markers, but these are not essential for enzymatic activity. When the enzyme is preincubated with exogenous ATP a 10-fold stimulation in the enzyme activity has been observed. It has been determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and high-voltage diethylaminoethyl paper electrophoresis that the light-released enzyme samples from a preincubated and washed mixture of the enzyme, [γ- 32 P]ATP, and UV-irradiated DNA-cellulose contained exogenous [γ- 32 P], which eluted with the enzyme-containing fractions when subjected to Bio-Gel P-30 chromatography. GTP caused a slight enhancement of the enzyme activity while ADP strongly inhibited photoreactivation, at the same concentration and conditions. Higher (X5) concentrations of ADP and adenosine 5'-(β, γ-methylenetriphosphate) totally inhibited the enzyme activity. Dialysis of a photoreactivating enzyme preparation against a buffer solution containing 1 mM ATP caused a 9-fold stimulation of the enzyme activity. In addition, there is an apparent hydrolysis of ATP during photoreactivation as measured by the release of 32 P from [γ- 32 P]ATP

  19. Enzyme activity measurement via spectral evolution profiling and PARAFAC

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baum, Andreas; Meyer, Anne S.; Garcia, Javier Lopez

    2013-01-01

    The recent advances in multi-way analysis provide new solutions to traditional enzyme activity assessment. In the present study enzyme activity has been determined by monitoring spectral changes of substrates and products in real time. The method relies on measurement of distinct spectral...... fingerprints of the reaction mixture at specific time points during the course of the whole enzyme catalyzed reaction and employs multi-way analysis to detect the spectral changes. The methodology is demonstrated by spectral evolution profiling of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectral fingerprints using...

  20. Diversity and strain specificity of plant cell wall degrading enzymes revealed by the draft genome of Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margret E Berg Miller

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Ruminococcus flavefaciens is a predominant cellulolytic rumen bacterium, which forms a multi-enzyme cellulosome complex that could play an integral role in the ability of this bacterium to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides. Identifying the major enzyme types involved in plant cell wall degradation is essential for gaining a better understanding of the cellulolytic capabilities of this organism as well as highlighting potential enzymes for application in improvement of livestock nutrition and for conversion of cellulosic biomass to liquid fuels. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The R. flavefaciens FD-1 genome was sequenced to 29x-coverage, based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis estimates (4.4 Mb, and assembled into 119 contigs providing 4,576,399 bp of unique sequence. As much as 87.1% of the genome encodes ORFs, tRNA, rRNAs, or repeats. The GC content was calculated at 45%. A total of 4,339 ORFs was detected with an average gene length of 918 bp. The cellulosome model for R. flavefaciens was further refined by sequence analysis, with at least 225 dockerin-containing ORFs, including previously characterized cohesin-containing scaffoldin molecules. These dockerin-containing ORFs encode a variety of catalytic modules including glycoside hydrolases (GHs, polysaccharide lyases, and carbohydrate esterases. Additionally, 56 ORFs encode proteins that contain carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs. Functional microarray analysis of the genome revealed that 56 of the cellulosome-associated ORFs were up-regulated, 14 were down-regulated, 135 were unaffected, when R. flavefaciens FD-1 was grown on cellulose versus cellobiose. Three multi-modular xylanases (ORF01222, ORF03896, and ORF01315 exhibited the highest levels of up-regulation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The genomic evidence indicates that R. flavefaciens FD-1 has the largest known number of fiber-degrading enzymes likely to be arranged in a cellulosome architecture. Functional

  1. Notable fibrolytic enzyme production by Aspergillus spp. isolates from the gastrointestinal tract of beef cattle fed in lignified pastures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia Oliveira Abrão

    Full Text Available Fungi have the ability to degrade vegetal cell wall carbohydrates, and their presence in the digestive tract of ruminants can minimize the effects of lignified forage on ruminal fermentation. Here, we evaluated enzyme production by Aspergillus spp. isolates from the digestive tracts of cattle grazed in tropical pastures during the dry season. Filamentous fungi were isolated from rumen and feces by culture in cellulose-based medium. Ninety fungal strains were isolated and identified by rDNA sequence analysis, microculture, or both. Aspergillus terreus was the most frequently isolated species, followed by Aspergillus fumigatus. The isolates were characterized with respect to their cellulolytic, xylanolytic, and lignolytic activity through qualitative evaluation in culture medium containing a specific corresponding carbon source. Carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase activity was quantified by the reducing sugar method. In the avicel and xilan degradation test, the enzyme activity (EA at 48 h was significantly higher other periods (P < 0.05. Intra- and inter-specific differences in EA were verified, and high levels of phenoloxidases, which are crucial for lignin degradation, were observed in 28.9% of the isolates. Aspergillus terreus showed significantly higher EA for avicelase (3.96 ±1.77 and xylanase (3.13 ±.091 than the other Aspergillus species at 48 h of incubation. Isolates AT13 and AF69 showed the highest CMCase specific activity (54.84 and 33.03 U mg-1 protein, respectively. Selected Aspergillus spp. isolates produced remarkable levels of enzymes involved in vegetal cell wall degradation, suggesting their potential as antimicrobial additives or probiotics in ruminant diets.

  2. A Simple and Accurate Method for Measuring Enzyme Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yip, Din-Yan

    1997-01-01

    Presents methods commonly used for investigating enzyme activity using catalase and presents a new method for measuring catalase activity that is more reliable and accurate. Provides results that are readily reproduced and quantified. Can also be used for investigations of enzyme properties such as the effects of temperature, pH, inhibitors,…

  3. Evolutionary transitions in enzyme activity of ant fungus gardens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Fine Licht, Henrik H; Schiøtt, Morten; Mueller, Ulrich G; Boomsma, Jacobus J

    2010-07-01

    Fungus-growing (attine) ants and their fungal symbionts passed through several evolutionary transitions during their 50 million year old evolutionary history. The basal attine lineages often shifted between two main cultivar clades, whereas the derived higher-attine lineages maintained an association with a monophyletic clade of specialized symbionts. In conjunction with the transition to specialized symbionts, the ants advanced in colony size and social complexity. Here we provide a comparative study of the functional specialization in extracellular enzyme activities in fungus gardens across the attine phylogeny. We show that, relative to sister clades, gardens of higher-attine ants have enhanced activity of protein-digesting enzymes, whereas gardens of leaf-cutting ants also have increased activity of starch-digesting enzymes. However, the enzyme activities of lower-attine fungus gardens are targeted primarily toward partial degradation of plant cell walls, reflecting a plesiomorphic state of nondomesticated fungi. The enzyme profiles of the higher-attine and leaf-cutting gardens appear particularly suited to digest fresh plant materials and to access nutrients from live cells without major breakdown of cell walls. The adaptive significance of the lower-attine symbiont shifts remains unclear. One of these shifts was obligate, but digestive advantages remained ambiguous, whereas the other remained facultative despite providing greater digestive efficiency.

  4. Effect of cellulase producing fungi on plant residues degradation used as organic fertilizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibrahim, R.M.M

    2009-01-01

    the most potent cellulolytic fungal genus in relation to the biosynthesis of 3 tested cellulases.II. Field Experiment:1-Dry matter yield. 2-Pods number. 3-Seed yield.4-Weight of 1000 seeds.4-Dehydrogenase enzyme activity.5-Cellulase activity in the rhizosphere. 6-Nitrogenase activity of root nodules

  5. Anaerobic solid state fermentation of cellulosic substrates with possible application to cellulase production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vandevoorde, L; Verstraete, W

    1987-08-01

    A solid state fermentation process was developed for the conversion of straw and cellulose under anaerobic conditions by a mixed culture of cellulolytic and methanogenic organisms. The bioconversion rate and efficiency were compared under mesophilic (35/sup 0/C) and thermophilic (55/sup 0/C) conditions. Cellulolytic activity was assayed in terms of sugar and overall soluble organic matter (chemical oxygen demand, COD) production. Maximum conversion rates were obtained under thermophilic conditions, i.e. 8.4 g and 14.2 g COD/kg.d, respectively, when wheat straw and cellulose were used as substrates. The cellulolytic activity of the reactor contents (23% dry matter), measured under substrate excess conditions, amounted to 50 g COD/kg.d. As a comparison, the activity of rumen contents (15 % dry matter) measured by the same assay amounted to 150 g COD/kg . d. The anaerobic cellulases appeared to be substrate bound. This and the relative low activity levels attained, limit the perspectives of producing cellulase enzymes by this type of process.

  6. Do new cellulolytic enzyme preparations affect the industrial strategies for high solids lignocellulosic ethanol production?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cannella, David; Jørgensen, Henning

    2014-01-01

    proven essential for economic feasibility at industrial scale. Historically, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) was found to give better ethanol yields compared to separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF), but data in literature are typically based on operating the process at low dry...... matter conditions. In this work the impact of selected enzyme preparation and processing strategy (SHF, presaccharification and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation—PSSF, and SSF) on final ethanol yield and overall performance was investigated with pretreated wheat straw up to 30% DM...... cellulose to around 94%, revealing that the most relevant products could be accounted for. One observation was the presence of oxidized sugar (gluconic acid) upon enzymatic hydrolysis with the latest enzyme preparation. Experiments showed gluconic acid formation by recently discovered enzymatic class...

  7. Light-regulation of enzyme activity in anacystis nidulans (Richt.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggan, J X; Anderson, L E

    1975-01-01

    The effect of light on the levels of activity of six enzymes which are light-modulated in higher plants was examined in the photosynthetic procaryot Anacystis nidulans. Ribulose-5-phosphate kinase (EC 2.7.1.19) was found to be light-activated in vivo and dithiothreitol-activated in vitro while glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) was light-inactivated and dithiothreitol-inactivated. The enzymes fructose-1,6-diphosphate phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11), sedoheptulose-1,7-diphosphate phosphatase, NAD- and NADP-linked glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12; EC 1.2.1.13) were not affected by light treatment of the intact algae, but sedoheptulose-diphosphate phosphatase and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases were dithiothreitol-activated in crude extracts. Light apparently controls the activity of the reductive and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in this photosynthetic procaryot as in higher plants, through a process which probably involves reductive modulation of enzyme activity.

  8. Activity enhancement of ligninolytic enzymes of Trametes versicolor ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Suspended cultures of white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, supplemented with bagasse powder showed a concentration dependent enhancement in the ligninolytic enzymes activity in liquid shake cultures. 2% (w/v) bagasse powder improved greater stability to the enzymes. The optimum pH is 3.5 and the optimum ...

  9. Temperature and UV light affect the activity of marine cell-free enzymes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Thomson

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Microbial extracellular enzymatic activity (EEA is the rate-limiting step in the degradation of organic matter in the oceans. These extracellular enzymes exist in two forms: cell-bound, which are attached to the microbial cell wall, and cell-free, which are completely free of the cell. Contrary to previous understanding, cell-free extracellular enzymes make up a substantial proportion of the total marine EEA. Little is known about these abundant cell-free enzymes, including what factors control their activity once they are away from their sites (cells. Experiments were run to assess how cell-free enzymes (excluding microbes respond to ultraviolet radiation (UVR and temperature manipulations, previously suggested as potential control factors for these enzymes. The experiments were done with New Zealand coastal waters and the enzymes studied were alkaline phosphatase (APase, β-glucosidase, (BGase, and leucine aminopeptidase (LAPase. Environmentally relevant UVR (i.e. in situ UVR levels measured at our site reduced cell-free enzyme activities by up to 87 % when compared to controls, likely a consequence of photodegradation. This effect of UVR on cell-free enzymes differed depending on the UVR fraction. Ambient levels of UV radiation were shown to reduce the activity of cell-free enzymes for the first time. Elevated temperatures (15 °C increased the activity of cell-free enzymes by up to 53 % when compared to controls (10 °C, likely by enhancing the catalytic activity of the enzymes. Our results suggest the importance of both UVR and temperature as control mechanisms for cell-free enzymes. Given the projected warming ocean environment and the variable UVR light regime, it is possible that there could be major changes in the cell-free EEA and in the enzymes contribution to organic matter remineralization in the future.

  10. Isolation, Screening, and Identification of Cellulolytic Bacteria from Natural Reserves in the Subtropical Region of China and Optimization of Cellulase Production by Paenibacillus terrae ME27-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Ling Liang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available From different natural reserves in the subtropical region of China, a total of 245 aerobic bacterial strains were isolated on agar plates containing sugarcane bagasse pulp as the sole carbon source. Of the 245 strains, 22 showed hydrolyzing zones on agar plates containing carboxymethyl cellulose after Congo-red staining. Molecular identification showed that the 22 strains belonged to 10 different genera, with the Burkholderia genus exhibiting the highest strain diversity and accounting for 36.36% of all the 22 strains. Three isolates among the 22 strains showed higher carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase activity, and isolate ME27-1 exhibited the highest CMCase activity in liquid culture. The strain ME27-1 was identified as Paenibacillus terrae on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as well as physiological and biochemical properties. The optimum pH and temperature for CMCase activity produced by the strain ME27-1 were 5.5 and 50°C, respectively, and the enzyme was stable at a wide pH range of 5.0–9.5. A 12-fold improvement in the CMCase activity (2.08 U/mL of ME27-1 was obtained under optimal conditions for CMCase production. Thus, this study provided further information about the diversity of cellulose-degrading bacteria in the subtropical region of China and found P. terrae ME27-1 to be highly cellulolytic.

  11. A Review on the Effects of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide on Enzyme Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie Zarevúcka

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Different types of enzymes such as lipases, several phosphatases, dehydrogenases, oxidases, amylases and others are well suited for the reactions in SC-CO2. The stability and the activity of enzymes exposed to carbon dioxide under high pressure depend on enzyme species, water content in the solution and on the pressure and temperature of the reaction system. The three-dimensional structure of enzymes may be significantly altered under extreme conditions, causing their denaturation and consequent loss of activity. If the conditions are less adverse, the protein structure may be largely retained. Minor structural changes may induce an alternative active protein state with altered enzyme activity, specificity and stability.

  12. FibroChip, a Functional DNA Microarray to Monitor Cellulolytic and Hemicellulolytic Activities of Rumen Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie Comtet-Marre

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Ruminants fulfill their energy needs for growth primarily through microbial breakdown of plant biomass in the rumen. Several biotic and abiotic factors influence the efficiency of fiber degradation, which can ultimately impact animal productivity and health. To provide more insight into mechanisms involved in the modulation of fibrolytic activity, a functional DNA microarray targeting genes encoding key enzymes involved in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation by rumen microbiota was designed. Eight carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme families (GH5, GH9, GH10, GH11, GH43, GH48, CE1, and CE6 were selected which represented 392 genes from bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. The DNA microarray, designated as FibroChip, was validated using targets of increasing complexity and demonstrated sensitivity and specificity. In addition, FibroChip was evaluated for its explorative and semi-quantitative potential. Differential expression of CAZyme genes was evidenced in the rumen bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 grown on wheat straw or cellobiose. FibroChip was used to identify the expressed CAZyme genes from the targeted families in the rumen of a cow fed a mixed diet based on grass silage. Among expressed genes, those encoding GH43, GH5, and GH10 families were the most represented. Most of the F. succinogenes genes detected by the FibroChip were also detected following RNA-seq analysis of RNA transcripts obtained from the rumen fluid sample. Use of the FibroChip also indicated that transcripts of fiber degrading enzymes derived from eukaryotes (protozoa and anaerobic fungi represented a significant proportion of the total microbial mRNA pool. FibroChip represents a reliable and high-throughput tool that enables researchers to monitor active members of fiber degradation in the rumen.

  13. FibroChip, a Functional DNA Microarray to Monitor Cellulolytic and Hemicellulolytic Activities of Rumen Microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comtet-Marre, Sophie; Chaucheyras-Durand, Frédérique; Bouzid, Ourdia; Mosoni, Pascale; Bayat, Ali R; Peyret, Pierre; Forano, Evelyne

    2018-01-01

    Ruminants fulfill their energy needs for growth primarily through microbial breakdown of plant biomass in the rumen. Several biotic and abiotic factors influence the efficiency of fiber degradation, which can ultimately impact animal productivity and health. To provide more insight into mechanisms involved in the modulation of fibrolytic activity, a functional DNA microarray targeting genes encoding key enzymes involved in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation by rumen microbiota was designed. Eight carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) families (GH5, GH9, GH10, GH11, GH43, GH48, CE1, and CE6) were selected which represented 392 genes from bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. The DNA microarray, designated as FibroChip, was validated using targets of increasing complexity and demonstrated sensitivity and specificity. In addition, FibroChip was evaluated for its explorative and semi-quantitative potential. Differential expression of CAZyme genes was evidenced in the rumen bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 grown on wheat straw or cellobiose. FibroChip was used to identify the expressed CAZyme genes from the targeted families in the rumen of a cow fed a mixed diet based on grass silage. Among expressed genes, those encoding GH43, GH5, and GH10 families were the most represented. Most of the F. succinogenes genes detected by the FibroChip were also detected following RNA-seq analysis of RNA transcripts obtained from the rumen fluid sample. Use of the FibroChip also indicated that transcripts of fiber degrading enzymes derived from eukaryotes (protozoa and anaerobic fungi) represented a significant proportion of the total microbial mRNA pool. FibroChip represents a reliable and high-throughput tool that enables researchers to monitor active members of fiber degradation in the rumen.

  14. Xylanase XYN IV from Trichoderma reesei showing exo- and endo-xylanase activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    A novel xylanase from Trichoderma reesei Rut C30, named XYN IV, was purified from the cellulolytic system of the fungus. The enzyme was discovered on its ability to attack aldotetraohexenuronic acid (HexA-2Xyl-4Xyl-4Xyl, HexA3Xyl3), releasing the reducing-end xylose residue. XYN IV exhibited catalyt...

  15. Enzyme Stability and Activity in Non-Aqueous Reaction Systems: A Mini Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shihui Wang

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Enormous interest in biocatalysis in non-aqueous phase has recently been triggered due to the merits of good enantioselectivity, reverse thermodynamic equilibrium, and no water-dependent side reactions. It has been demonstrated that enzyme has high activity and stability in non-aqueous media, and the variation of enzyme activity is attributed to its conformational modifications. This review comprehensively addresses the stability and activity of the intact enzymes in various non-aqueous systems, such as organic solvents, ionic liquids, sub-/super-critical fluids and their combined mixtures. It has been revealed that critical factors such as Log P, functional groups and the molecular structures of the solvents define the microenvironment surrounding the enzyme molecule and affect enzyme tertiary and secondary structure, influencing enzyme catalytic properties. Therefore, it is of high importance for biocatalysis in non-aqueous media to elucidate the links between the microenvironment surrounding enzyme surface and its stability and activity. In fact, a better understanding of the correlation between different non-aqueous environments and enzyme structure, stability and activity can contribute to identifying the most suitable reaction medium for a given biotransformation.

  16. Visualization of enzyme activities inside earthworm biopores by in situ soil zymography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thu Duyen Hoang, Thi; Razavi, Bahar. S.; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2015-04-01

    Earthworms can strongly activate microorganisms, increase microbial and enzyme activities and consequently the turnover of native soil organic matter. In extremely dynamic microhabitats and hotspots as biopores made by earthworms, the in situ enzyme activities are a footprint of complex biotic interactions. The effect of earthworms on the alteration of enzyme activities inside biopores and the difference between bio-pores and earthworm-free soil was visualized by in situ soil zymography (Spohn and Kuzyakov, 2014). For the first time, we prepared quantitative imaging of enzyme activities in biopores. Furthermore, we developed the zymography technique by direct application of a substrate saturated membrane to the soil to obtain better spatial resolution. Lumbricus terrestris L. was placed into transparent box (15×20×15cm). Simultaneously, maize seed was sown in the soil. Control soil box with maize and without earthworm was prepared in the same way. After two weeks when bio-pore systems were formed by earthworm, we visualized in situ enzyme activities of five hydrolytic enzymes (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, chitinase, xylanase, leucine aminopeptidase) and phosphatase. Followed by non-destructive zymography, biopore samples and control soil were destructively collected to assay enzyme kinetics by fluorogenically labeled substrates method. Zymography showed higher activity of β-glucosidase, chitinase, xylanase and phosphatase in biopores comparing to bulk soil. These differences were further confirmed by fluorimetric microplate enzyme assay detected significant difference of Vmax in four above mentioned enzymes. Vmax of β-glucosidase, chitinase, xylanase and phosphatase in biopores is 68%, 108%, 50% and 49% higher than that of control soil. However, no difference in cellobiohydrolase and leucine aminopeptidase kinetics between biopores and control soil were detected. This indicated little effect of earthworms on protein and cellulose transformation in soil

  17. Discriminated release of phenolic substances from red wine grape skins (Vitis vinifera L.) by multicomponent enzymes treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arnous, Anis; Meyer, Anne S.

    2010-01-01

    Detailed insight into the effects of enzymatic treatments on grape phenolics is of significant importance for grape processing for wine making. This study examined the release of phenols during enzymatic (pectinolytic and cellulolytic) degradation of the cell wall polysaccharides in skins of Merlot...... the enzymatic treatment; phenolic acids, including hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids, were released as a function of monosaccharides liberation, i.e. as a function of the enzyme catalyzed cell wall degradation of the skins, and with some of the phenolic acids perhaps released from the lignin...

  18. Detoxification enzymes activities in deltamethrin and bendiocarb ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Detoxification enzymes activities in deltamethrin and bendiocarb resistant and susceptible malarial vectors ( Anopheles gambiae ) breeding in Bichi agricultural and residential sites, Kano state, Nigeria.

  19. Fluorogenic Substrates for Visualizing Acidic Organelle Enzyme Activities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiona Karen Harlan

    Full Text Available Lysosomes are acidic cytoplasmic organelles that are present in all nucleated mammalian cells and are involved in a variety of cellular processes including repair of the plasma membrane, defense against pathogens, cholesterol homeostasis, bone remodeling, metabolism, apoptosis and cell signaling. Defects in lysosomal enzyme activity have been associated with a variety of neurological diseases including Parkinson's Disease, Lysosomal Storage Diseases, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Fluorogenic lysosomal staining probes were synthesized for labeling lysosomes and other acidic organelles in a live-cell format and were shown to be capable of monitoring lysosomal metabolic activity. The new targeted substrates were prepared from fluorescent dyes having a low pKa value for optimum fluorescence at the lower physiological pH found in lysosomes. They were modified to contain targeting groups to direct their accumulation in lysosomes as well as enzyme-cleavable functions for monitoring specific enzyme activities using a live-cell staining format. Application to the staining of cells derived from blood and skin samples of patients with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Krabbe and Gaucher Diseases as well as healthy human fibroblast and leukocyte control cells exhibited localization to the lysosome when compared with known lysosomal stain LysoTracker® Red DND-99 as well as with anti-LAMP1 Antibody staining. When cell metabolism was inhibited with chloroquine, staining with an esterase substrate was reduced, demonstrating that the substrates can be used to measure cell metabolism. When applied to diseased cells, the intensity of staining was reflective of lysosomal enzyme levels found in diseased cells. Substrates specific to the enzyme deficiencies in Gaucher or Krabbe disease patient cell lines exhibited reduced staining compared to that in non-diseased cells. The new lysosome-targeted fluorogenic substrates should be useful for research

  20. Visualization of Enzyme Activities in Earthworm Biopores by In Situ Soil Zymography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razavi, Bahar S; Hoang, Duyen; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2017-01-01

    Earthworms produce biopores with strongly increased microbial and enzyme activities and consequently they form microbial hotspots in soil. In extremely dynamic microhabitats and hotspots such as earthworm biopores, the in situ enzyme activities are a footprint of process rates and complex biotic interactions. The effect of earthworms on enzyme activities inside biopores, relative to earthworm-free soil, can be visualized by in situ soil zymography. Here, we describe the details of the approach and discuss its advantages and limitations. Direct zymography provides high spatial resolution for quantitative images of enzyme activities in biopores.

  1. Effects of protease and non-starch polysaccharide enzyme on performance, digestive function, activity and gene expression of endogenous enzyme of broilers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Yuan

    Full Text Available Three hundred one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross-308 were fed corn-soybean basal diets containing non-starch polysaccharide (NSP enzyme and different levels of acid protease from 1 to 42 days of age to investigate the effects of exogenous enzymes on growth performance, digestive function, activity of endogenous digestive enzymes in the pancreas and mRNA expression of pancreatic digestive enzymes. For days 1-42, compared to the control chickens, average daily feed intake (ADFI and average daily gain (ADG were significantly enhanced by the addition of NSP enzyme in combination with protease supplementation at 40 or 80 mg/kg (p<0.05. Feed-to-gain ratio (FGR was significantly improved by supplementation with NSP enzymes or NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease compared to the control diet (p<0.05. Apparent digestibility of crude protein (ADCP was significantly enhanced by the addition of NSP enzyme or NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease (p<0.05. Cholecystokinin (CCK level in serum was reduced by 31.39% with NSP enzyme combined with protease supplementation at 160 mg/kg (p<0.05, but the CCK level in serum was increased by 26.51% with NSP enzyme supplementation alone. After 21 days, supplementation with NSP enzyme and NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease increased the activity of pancreatic trypsin by 74.13%, 70.66% and 42.59% (p<0.05, respectively. After 42 days, supplementation with NSP enzyme and NSP enzyme combined with 40 mg/kg protease increased the activity of pancreatic trypsin by 32.45% and 27.41%, respectively (p<0.05. However, supplementation with NSP enzyme and 80 or 160 mg/kg protease decreased the activity of pancreatic trypsin by 10.75% and 25.88%, respectively (p<0.05. The activities of pancreatic lipase and amylase were significantly higher in treated animals than they were in the control group (p<0.05. Supplementation with NSP enzyme, NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease increased

  2. Nanocaged enzymes with enhanced catalytic activity and increased stability against protease digestion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhao; Fu, Jinglin; Dhakal, Soma; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Liu, Minghui; Zhang, Ting; Woodbury, Neal W.; Liu, Yan; Walter, Nils G.; Yan, Hao

    2016-01-01

    Cells routinely compartmentalize enzymes for enhanced efficiency of their metabolic pathways. Here we report a general approach to construct DNA nanocaged enzymes for enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Nanocaged enzymes are realized by self-assembly into DNA nanocages with well-controlled stoichiometry and architecture that enabled a systematic study of the impact of both encapsulation and proximal polyanionic surfaces on a set of common metabolic enzymes. Activity assays at both bulk and single-molecule levels demonstrate increased substrate turnover numbers for DNA nanocage-encapsulated enzymes. Unexpectedly, we observe a significant inverse correlation between the size of a protein and its activity enhancement. This effect is consistent with a model wherein distal polyanionic surfaces of the nanocage enhance the stability of active enzyme conformations through the action of a strongly bound hydration layer. We further show that DNA nanocages protect encapsulated enzymes against proteases, demonstrating their practical utility in functional biomaterials and biotechnology. PMID:26861509

  3. Nanocaged enzymes with enhanced catalytic activity and increased stability against protease digestion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhao; Fu, Jinglin; Dhakal, Soma; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Liu, Minghui; Zhang, Ting; Woodbury, Neal W.; Liu, Yan; Walter, Nils G.; Yan, Hao

    2016-02-01

    Cells routinely compartmentalize enzymes for enhanced efficiency of their metabolic pathways. Here we report a general approach to construct DNA nanocaged enzymes for enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Nanocaged enzymes are realized by self-assembly into DNA nanocages with well-controlled stoichiometry and architecture that enabled a systematic study of the impact of both encapsulation and proximal polyanionic surfaces on a set of common metabolic enzymes. Activity assays at both bulk and single-molecule levels demonstrate increased substrate turnover numbers for DNA nanocage-encapsulated enzymes. Unexpectedly, we observe a significant inverse correlation between the size of a protein and its activity enhancement. This effect is consistent with a model wherein distal polyanionic surfaces of the nanocage enhance the stability of active enzyme conformations through the action of a strongly bound hydration layer. We further show that DNA nanocages protect encapsulated enzymes against proteases, demonstrating their practical utility in functional biomaterials and biotechnology.

  4. Redistribution of mineral elements in wheat grain when applying the complex enzyme preparations based on phytase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Kuznetsova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Biogenic minerals play an important role in the whole human nutrition, but they are included in the grain of the phytates that reduces their bioavailability. Whole wheat bread is generally considered a healthy food, but the presence of mineral elements in it is insignificant, because of weak phytate degradation. From all sources of exogenous phytase the most productive are microscopic fungi. To accelerate the process of transition hard mineral elements are mobilized to implement integrated cellulolytic enzyme preparation based on the actions of phytase (producer is Penicillium canescens. Phytase activity was assessed indirectly by the rate of release of phosphate from the substrate. It has been established that the release rate of the phosphoric acid substrate is dependent on the composition of the drug and the enzyme complex is determined by the presence of xylanase. The presented experimental data shows that a cellulase treatment of the grain in conjunction with the β-glucanase or xylanase leading to an increase in phytase activity could be 1.4 - 2.3 times as compared with the individual enzymes. As a result of concerted action of enzymes complex preparation varies topography grain, increase the pore sizes in seed and fruit shells that facilitate the penetration of the enzyme phytase in the aleurone layer to the site of phytin hydrolysis and leads to an increase in phytase activity. In terms of rational parameters of enzymatic hydrolysis, the distribution of mineral elements in the anatomical parts of the grain after processing complex enzyme preparation with the help of X-ray detector EMF miniCup system in a scanning electron microscope JEOL JSM 6390 were investigated. When processing enzyme preparation wheat trend in the distribution of mineral elements, characteristic of grain - the proportion of these elements in the aleurone layer decreases, and in the endosperm increases. Because dietary fiber and phytate found together in the

  5. Activity of certain enzymes in cadmium-poisoned chicks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kench, J E; Gubb, P J.D.

    1970-01-01

    Activities of a number of enzymes in the liver and other tissues of newly hatched cadmium poisoned chicks have been compared with those of normal controls before and after incubation with Cd/sup +2/ at a concentration similar to that present in vivo. Concentrations of Cd/sup +2/ in the various cellular fractions were determined, after wet oxidation, by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Interaction of Cd/sup +2/ with enzymes may provide information on the localization of enzymes within mitochondria and other cellular structures. 7 references.

  6. Development Of Enzyme Digestive Activity Of Blue Crab Portunus Pelagicus Larvae

    OpenAIRE

    Nikhlani, Andi; Sukarti, Komsanah

    2017-01-01

    Seed production continuity of Portunus pelagicus larvae had been conducted but the results were still un-consistent Digestive activity was known to be associated with the type of feed consumed by larvae. Amylase, lipase, and trypsin enzymes were used as a biological indicators to measure the digestion of feed. The aim of this study was to describe the activity of digestive enzymes in blue swimming crab larvae. Digestive enzyme activity data obtained was presented in graphical form and anal...

  7. Pathogenicity and cell wall-degrading enzyme activities of some ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr. J. T. Ekanem

    2005-12-17

    Dec 17, 2005 ... be attributed to the activities of these cell wall degrading enzymes. Keywords: Cowpea ... bacteria have long been known to produce enzymes capable of ... Inoculated seeds were sown in small plastic pots filled with steam- ...

  8. Plant carbohydrate binding module enhances activity of hybrid microbial cellulase enzyme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caitlin Siobhan Byrt

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available A synthetic, highly active cellulase enzyme suitable for in planta production may be a valuable tool for biotechnological approaches to develop transgenic biofuel crops with improved digestibility. Here, we demonstrate that the addition of a plant derived carbohydrate binding module (CBM to a synthetic glycosyl hydrolase (GH improved the activity of the hydrolase in releasing sugar from plant biomass. A CEL-HYB1-CBM enzyme was generated by fusing a hybrid microbial cellulase, CEL-HYB1, with the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum SlCel9C1 cellulase. CEL-HYB1 and CEL-HYB1-CBM enzymes were produced in vitro using Pichia pastoris and the activity of these enzymes was tested using CMC, MUC and native crystalline cellulose assays. The presence of the CBM substantially improved the endo-glucanase activity of CEL-HYB1, especially against the native crystalline cellulose encountered in Sorghum plant cell walls. These results indicate that addition of an endogenous plant derived CBM to cellulase enzymes may enhance hydrolytic activity.

  9. Ethanol from wood. Cellulase enzyme production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szengyel, Zsolt

    2000-03-01

    Conversion of biomass to liquid fuels, such as ethanol, has been investigated during the past decades. First due to the oil crisis of the 1970s and lately because of concerns about greenhouse effect, ethanol has been found to be a suitable substitute for gasoline in transportation. Although ethanol is produced in large quantities from corn starch, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol is rather problematic. However, cellulosic raw materials are important as they are available in large quantities from agriculture and forestry. One of the most extensively investigated processes is the enzymatic process, in which fungal cellulolytic enzymes are used to convert the cellulose content of the biomass to glucose, which is then fermented to ethanol. In order to make the raw material accessible to biological attack, it has to be pretreated first. The most successful method, which has been evaluated for various lignocellulosic materials, is the steam pretreatment. In this thesis the utilization of steam pretreated willow (hardwood) and spruce (softwood) was examined for enzyme production using a filamentous fungus T. reesei RUT C30. Various carbon sources originating from the steam pretreated materials have been investigated. The replacement of the solid carbon source with a liquid carbon source, as well as the effect of pH, was studied. The effect of toxic compounds generated during pretreatment was also examined. Comparative study of softwood and hardwood showed that steam pretreated hardwood is a better carbon source than softwood. The hydrolytic potential of enzyme solutions produced on wood derived carbon sources was better compared to commercial cellulases. Also enzyme solutions produced on steam pretreated spruce showed less sensitivity towards toxic compounds formed during steam pretreatment.

  10. Reveal the response of enzyme activities to heavy metals through in situ zymography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Chengjiao; Fang, Linchuan; Yang, Congli; Chen, Weibin; Cui, Yongxing; Li, Shiqing

    2018-07-30

    Enzymes in the soil are vital for assessing heavy metal soil pollution. Although the presence of heavy metals is thought to change the soil enzyme system, the distribution of enzyme activities in heavy metal polluted-soil is still unknown. For the first time, using soil zymography, we analyzed the distribution of enzyme activities of alfalfa rhizosphere and soil surface in the metal-contaminated soil. The results showed that the growth of alfalfa was significantly inhibited, and an impact that was most pronounced in seedling biomass and chlorophyll content. Catalase activity (CAT) in alfalfa decreased with increasing heavy metal concentrations, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content continually increased. The distribution of enzyme activities showed that both phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities were associated with the roots and were rarely distributed throughout the soil. In addition, the total hotspot areas of enzyme activities were the highest in extremely heavy pollution soil. The hotspot areas of phosphatase were 3.4%, 1.5% and 7.1% under none, moderate and extremely heavy pollution treatment, respectively, but increased from 0.1% to 0.9% for β-glucosidase with the increasing pollution levels. Compared with the traditional method of enzyme activities, zymography can directly and accurately reflect the distribution and extent of enzyme activity in heavy metals polluted soil. The results provide an efficient research method for exploring the interaction between enzyme activities and plant rhizosphere. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. DNA-directed control of enzyme-inhibitor complex formation: a modular approach to reversibly switch enzyme activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, B.M.G.; Engelen, W.; Merkx, M.

    2015-01-01

    DNA-templated reversible assembly of an enzyme–inhibitor complex is presented as a new and highly modular approach to control enzyme activity. TEM1-ß-lactamase and its inhibitor protein BLIP were conjugated to different oligonucleotides, resulting in enzyme inhibition in the presence of template

  12. FERROFLUIDS INFLUENCE ON DEHYDROGENASES ACTIVITY IN CELLULOLYTIC FUNGUS CHAETOMIUM GLOBOSUM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandru Manoliu

    2003-08-01

    Different results were noticed for different ferrofluids concentrations: 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μl/L. Inhibitory or stimulatory ferrofluids effect was obtained depending on the nature of the investigated enzyme.

  13. Effect of storage time and temperature of equine feces on the subsequent enumeration of lactobacilli and cellulolytic bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cellulolytic bacteria and lactobacilli are beneficial microbes in the equine hindgut. There are several existing methodologies for the enumeration of these bacteria, which vary based on selective and differential media and sample handling procedures including storage time and temperature. The object...

  14. Micropollutant degradation via extracted native enzymes from activated sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krah, Daniel; Ghattas, Ann-Kathrin; Wick, Arne; Bröder, Kathrin; Ternes, Thomas A

    2016-05-15

    A procedure was developed to assess the biodegradation of micropollutants in cell-free lysates produced from activated sludge of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). This proof-of-principle provides the basis for further investigations of micropollutant biodegradation via native enzymes in a solution of reduced complexity, facilitating downstream protein analysis. Differently produced lysates, containing a variety of native enzymes, showed significant enzymatic activities of acid phosphatase, β-galactosidase and β-glucuronidase in conventional colorimetric enzyme assays, whereas heat-deactivated controls did not. To determine the enzymatic activity towards micropollutants, 20 compounds were spiked to the cell-free lysates under aerobic conditions and were monitored via LC-ESI-MS/MS. The micropollutants were selected to span a wide range of different biodegradabilities in conventional activated sludge treatment via distinct primary degradation reactions. Of the 20 spiked micropollutants, 18 could be degraded by intact sludge under assay conditions, while six showed reproducible degradation in the lysates compared to the heat-deactivated negative controls: acetaminophen, N-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole (acetyl-SMX), atenolol, bezafibrate, erythromycin and 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxycarbamazepine (10-OH-CBZ). The primary biotransformation of the first four compounds can be attributed to amide hydrolysis. However, the observed biotransformations in the lysates were differently influenced by experimental parameters such as sludge pre-treatment and the addition of ammonium sulfate or peptidase inhibitors, suggesting that different hydrolase enzymes were involved in the primary degradation, among them possibly peptidases. Furthermore, the transformation of 10-OH-CBZ to 9-CA-ADIN was caused by a biologically-mediated oxidation, which indicates that in addition to hydrolases further enzyme classes (probably oxidoreductases) are present in the native lysates. Although the

  15. Exo-exo synergy between Cel6A and Cel7A from Hypocrea jecorina: Role of carbohydrate binding module and the endo-lytic character of the enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badino, Silke F; Christensen, Stefan J; Kari, Jeppe; Windahl, Michael S; Hvidt, Søren; Borch, Kim; Westh, Peter

    2017-08-01

    Synergy between cellulolytic enzymes is essential in both natural and industrial breakdown of biomass. In addition to synergy between endo- and exo-lytic enzymes, a lesser known but equally conspicuous synergy occurs among exo-acting, processive cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) such as Cel7A and Cel6A from Hypocrea jecorina. We studied this system using microcrystalline cellulose as substrate and found a degree of synergy between 1.3 and 2.2 depending on the experimental conditions. Synergy between enzyme variants without the carbohydrate binding module (CBM) and its linker was strongly reduced compared to the wild types. One plausible interpretation of this is that exo-exo synergy depends on the targeting role of the CBM. Many earlier works have proposed that exo-exo synergy was caused by an auxiliary endo-lytic activity of Cel6A. However, biochemical data from different assays suggested that the endo-lytic activity of both Cel6A and Cel7A were 10 3 -10 4 times lower than the common endoglucanase, Cel7B, from the same organism. Moreover, the endo-lytic activity of Cel7A was 2-3-fold higher than for Cel6A, and we suggest that endo-like activity of Cel6A cannot be the main cause for the observed synergy. Rather, we suggest the exo-exo synergy found here depends on different specificities of the enzymes possibly governed by their CBMs. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1639-1647. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Forward genetics screen coupled with whole-genome resequencing identifies novel gene targets for improving heterologous enzyme production in Aspergillus niger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reilly, Morgann C; Kim, Joonhoon; Lynn, Jed; Simmons, Blake A; Gladden, John M; Magnuson, Jon K; Baker, Scott E

    2018-02-01

    Plant biomass, once reduced to its composite sugars, can be converted to fuel substitutes. One means of overcoming the recalcitrance of lignocellulose is pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. However, currently available commercial enzyme cocktails are inhibited in the presence of residual pretreatment chemicals. Recent studies have identified a number of cellulolytic enzymes from bacteria that are tolerant to pretreatment chemicals such as ionic liquids. The challenge now is generation of these enzymes in copious amounts, an arena where fungal organisms such as Aspergillus niger have proven efficient. Fungal host strains still need to be engineered to increase production titers of heterologous protein over native enzymes, which has been a difficult task. Here, we developed a forward genetics screen coupled with whole-genome resequencing to identify specific lesions responsible for a protein hyper-production phenotype in A. niger. This strategy successfully identified novel targets, including a low-affinity glucose transporter, MstC, whose deletion significantly improved secretion of recombinant proteins driven by a glucoamylase promoter.

  17. Forward genetics screen coupled with whole-genome resequencing identifies novel gene targets for improving heterologous enzyme production in Aspergillus niger

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reilly, Morgann C. [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kim, Joonhoon [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lynn, Jed [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH (United States); Simmons, Blake A. [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gladden, John M. [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Magnuson, Jon K. [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Baker, Scott E. [Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2018-01-06

    Plant biomass, once reduced to its composite sugars, can be converted to fuel substitutes. One means of overcoming the recalcitrance of lignocellulose is pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. However, currently available commercial enzyme cocktails are inhibited in the presence of residual pretreatment chemicals. Recent studies have identified a number of cellulolytic enzymes from bacteria that are tolerant to pretreatment chemicals such as ionic liquids. The challenge now is generation of these enzymes in copious amounts, an arena where fungal organisms such as Aspergillus niger have proven efficient. Fungal host strains still need to be engineered to increase production titers of heterologous protein over native enzymes, which has been a difficult task. Here, we developed a forward genetics screen coupled with whole-genome resequencing to identify specific lesions responsible for a protein hyper-production phenotype in A. niger. This strategy successfully identified novel targets, including a low-affinity glucose transporter, MstC, whose deletion significantly improved secretion of recombinant proteins driven by a glucoamylase promoter.

  18. Comparative genotyping of Clostridium thermocellum strains isolated from biogas plants: genetic markers and characterization of cellulolytic potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koeck, Daniela E; Zverlov, Vladimir V; Liebl, Wolfgang; Schwarz, Wolfgang H

    2014-07-01

    Clostridium thermocellum is among the most prevalent of known anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria. In this study, genetic and phenotypic variations among C. thermocellum strains isolated from different biogas plants were determined and different genotyping methods were evaluated on these isolates. At least two C. thermocellum strains were isolated independently from each of nine different biogas plants via enrichment on cellulose. Various DNA-based genotyping methods such as ribotyping, RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) and VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeats) were applied to these isolates. One novel approach - the amplification of unknown target sequences between copies of a previously discovered Random Inserted Mobile Element (RIME) - was also tested. The genotyping method with the highest discriminatory power was found to be the amplification of the sequences between the insertion elements, where isolates from each biogas plant yielded a different band pattern. Cellulolytic potentials, optimal growth conditions and substrate spectra of all isolates were characterized to help identify phenotypic variations. Irrespective of the genotyping method used, the isolates from each individual biogas plant always exhibited identical patterns. This is suggestive of a single C. thermocellum strain exhibiting dominance in each biogas plant. The genotypic groups reflect the results of the physiological characterization of the isolates like substrate diversity and cellulase activity. Conversely, strains isolated across a range of biogas plants differed in their genotyping results and physiological properties. Both strains isolated from one biogas plant had the best specific cellulose-degrading properties and might therefore achieve superior substrate utilization yields in biogas fermenters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  19. Quantitative iTRAQ secretome analysis of Aspergillus niger reveals novel hydrolytic enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adav, Sunil S; Li, An A; Manavalan, Arulmani; Punt, Peter; Sze, Siu Kwan

    2010-08-06

    The natural lifestyle of Aspergillus niger made them more effective secretors of hydrolytic proteins and becomes critical when this species were exploited as hosts for the commercial secretion of heterologous proteins. The protein secretion profile of A. niger and its mutant at different pH was explored using iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics approach coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This study characterized 102 highly confident unique proteins in the secretome with zero false discovery rate based on decoy strategy. The iTRAQ technique identified and relatively quantified many hydrolyzing enzymes such as cellulases, hemicellulases, glycoside hydrolases, proteases, peroxidases, and protein translocating transporter proteins during fermentation. The enzymes have potential application in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis for biofuel production, for example, the cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes glucan 1,4-alpha-glucosidase, alpha-glucosidase C, endoglucanase, alpha l-arabinofuranosidase, beta-mannosidase, glycosyl hydrolase; proteases such as tripeptidyl-peptidase, aspergillopepsin, and other enzymes including cytochrome c oxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, glucose oxidase were highly expressed in A. niger and its mutant secretion. In addition, specific enzyme production can be stimulated by controlling pH of the culture medium. Our results showed comprehensive unique secretory protein profile of A. niger, its regulation at different pH, and the potential application of iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics for the microbial secretome analysis.

  20. PENAPISAN KHAMIR SELULOLITIK CRYPTOCOCCUS SP. YANG DIISOLASI DARI TANAH KEBUN BIOLOGI WAMENA, JAYA WIJAYA, PROPINSI PAPUA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atit Kanti

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Cryptococcus sp. was isolated from Kebun Biologi Wamena, Papua. The isolate was able to grow in media with carboxymethyl cellulose as a sole carbon source implying that isolate produced 1-3 ? endo-glucanase. To study the effect of glucose and osmotic pressure, 0.1 % glucose and 0.1 % NaCl were amended into the medium containing CMC. Glucose significantly affected cellulolytic activity and biomass synthesis. At the beginning of cell cultivation glucose augmentation appear to slightly inhibit enzyme activity. Sodium chloride also significantly affected cellulolytic activity. Profile of pH varied dependent on cultivation media. Maximum growth of biomass was achieved after glucose addition, indicating that glucose stimulated cell growth.

  1. Activation of lysosomal enzymes and tumour regression caused by irradiation and steroid hormones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ball, A.; Barratt, G.M.; Wills, E.D.

    1982-01-01

    The lysosomal enzyme activity and membrane permeability of mouse C3H mammary tumours has been studied using quantitative cytochemical methods following irradiation of the tumours with doses of 1500, 3500 or 6000 rad ν rays. No change in the lysosomal enzyme activity was observed immediately after irradiation, but increased enzyme activity and increased membrane permeability were observed 24 hr after irradiation with doses of 3500 or 6000 rad. Twenty-four hours after injection of prednisolone there was a marked increase of lysosomal membrane permeability and enzyme activity, and injection of prednisolone soon after irradiation enhanced the effect of irradiation. After a dose of 6000 rad and prednisolone, the lysosomal membrane permeability increased to 191% of the control and the enzyme activity to 326% of the value of the control tumours. Measurement of tumour size after irradiation or after a combined treatment with irradiation and prednisolone showed that a close correlation exists between tumour regression and lysosomal enzyme activity. The experiments support the view that lysosomal enzymes play an important role in tumour regression following irradiation. (author)

  2. Hfq stimulates the activity of the CCA-adding enzyme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Betat Heike

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The bacterial Sm-like protein Hfq is known as an important regulator involved in many reactions of RNA metabolism. A prominent function of Hfq is the stimulation of RNA polyadenylation catalyzed by E. coli poly(A polymerase I (PAP. As a member of the nucleotidyltransferase superfamily, this enzyme shares a high sequence similarity with an other representative of this family, the tRNA nucleotidyltransferase that synthesizes the 3'-terminal sequence C-C-A to all tRNAs (CCA-adding enzyme. Therefore, it was assumed that Hfq might not only influence the poly(A polymerase in its specific activity, but also other, similar enzymes like the CCA-adding enzyme. Results Based on the close evolutionary relation of these two nucleotidyltransferases, it was tested whether Hfq is a specific modulator acting exclusively on PAP or whether it also influences the activity of the CCA-adding enzyme. The obtained data indicate that the reaction catalyzed by this enzyme is substantially accelerated in the presence of Hfq. Furthermore, Hfq binds specifically to tRNA transcripts, which seems to be the prerequisite for the observed effect on CCA-addition. Conclusion The increase of the CCA-addition in the presence of Hfq suggests that this protein acts as a stimulating factor not only for PAP, but also for the CCA-adding enzyme. In both cases, Hfq interacts with RNA substrates, while a direct binding to the corresponding enzymes was not demonstrated up to now (although experimental data indicate a possible interaction of PAP and Hfq. So far, the basic principle of these stimulatory effects is not clear yet. In case of the CCA-adding enzyme, however, the presented data indicate that the complex between Hfq and tRNA substrate might enhance the product release from the enzyme.

  3. Carotenoid-cleavage activities of crude enzymes from Pandanous amryllifolius.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ningrum, Andriati; Schreiner, Matthias

    2014-11-01

    Carotenoid degradation products, known as norisoprenoids, are aroma-impact compounds in several plants. Pandan wangi is a common name of the shrub Pandanus amaryllifolius. The genus name 'Pandanus' is derived from the Indonesian name of the tree, pandan. In Indonesia, the leaves from the plant are used for several purposes, e.g., as natural colorants and flavor, and as traditional treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the cleavage of β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal by carotenoid-cleavage enzymes isolated from pandan leaves, to investigate dependencies of the enzymatic activities on temperature and pH, to determine the enzymatic reaction products by using Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrophotometry (HS-SPME GC/MS), and to investigate the influence of heat treatment and addition of crude enzyme on formation of norisoprenoids. Crude enzymes from pandan leaves showed higher activity against β-carotene than β-apo-8'-carotenal. The optimum temperature of crude enzymes was 70°, while the optimum pH value was 6. We identified β-ionone as the major volatile reaction product from the incubations of two different carotenoid substrates, β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal. Several treatments, e.g., heat treatment and addition of crude enzymes in pandan leaves contributed to the norisoprenoid content. Our findings revealed that the crude enzymes from pandan leaves with carotenoid-cleavage activity might provide a potential application, especially for biocatalysis, in natural-flavor industry. Copyright © 2014 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

  4. Enzyme activities by indicator of quality in organic soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raigon Jiménez, Mo; Fita, Ana Delores; Rodriguez Burruezo, Adrián

    2016-04-01

    The analytical determination of biochemical parameters, as soil enzyme activities and those related to the microbial biomass is growing importance by biological indicator in soil science studies. The metabolic activity in soil is responsible of important processes such as mineralization and humification of organic matter. These biological reactions will affect other key processes involved with elements like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus , and all transformations related in soil microbial biomass. The determination of biochemical parameters is useful in studies carried out on organic soil where microbial processes that are key to their conservation can be analyzed through parameters of the metabolic activity of these soils. The main objective of this work is to apply analytical methodologies of enzyme activities in soil collections of different physicochemical characteristics. There have been selective sampling of natural soils, organic farming soils, conventional farming soils and urban soils. The soils have been properly identified conserved at 4 ° C until analysis. The enzyme activities determinations have been: catalase, urease, cellulase, dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, which bring together a representative group of biological transformations that occur in the soil environment. The results indicate that for natural and agronomic soil collections, the values of the enzymatic activities are within the ranges established for forestry and agricultural soils. Organic soils are generally higher level of enzymatic, regardless activity of the enzyme involved. Soil near an urban area, levels of activities have been significantly reduced. The vegetation cover applied to organic soils, results in greater enzymatic activity. So the quality of these soils, defined as the ability to maintain their biological productivity is increased with the use of cover crops, whether or spontaneous species. The practice of cover based on legumes could be used as an ideal choice

  5. Magnesium requirement of some of the principal rumen cellulolytic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, M S; Dehority, B A

    2014-09-01

    Information available on the role of Mg for growth and cellulose degradation by rumen bacteria is both limited and inconsistent. In this study, the Mg requirements for two strains each of the cellulolytic rumen species Fibrobacter succinogenes (A3c and S85), Ruminococcus albus (7 and 8) and Ruminococcus flavefaciens (B34b and C94) were investigated. Maximum growth, rate of growth and lag time were all measured using a complete factorial design, 2(3)×6; factors were: strains (2), within species (3) and Mg concentrations (6). R. flavefaciens was the only species that did not grow when Mg was singly deleted from the media, and both strains exhibited a linear growth response to increasing Mg concentrations (PR. flavefaciens B34b was estimated as 0.54 mM; whereas the requirement for R. flavefaciens C94 was >0.82 as there was no plateau in growth. Although not an absolute requirement for growth, strains of the two other species of cellulolytic bacteria all responded to increasing Mg concentrations. For F. succinogenes S85, R. albus 7 and R. albus 8, their requirement estimated from maximum growth was 0.56, 0.52 and 0.51, respectively. A requirement for F. succinogenes A3c could not be calculated because there was no solution for contrasts. Whether R. flavefaciens had a Mg requirement for cellulose degradation was determined in NH3-free cellulose media, using a 2×4 factorial design, 2 strains and 4 treatments. Both strains of R. flavefaciens were found to have an absolute Mg requirement for cellulose degradation. Based on reported concentrations of Mg in the rumen, 1.0 to 10.1 mM, it seems unlikely that an in vivo deficiency of this element would occur.

  6. Effect of diffusion on enzyme activity in a microreactor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swarts, J.W.; Kolfschoten, R.C.; Jansen, M.C.A.A.; Janssen, A.E.M.; Boom, R.M.

    2010-01-01

    To establish general rules for setting up an enzyme microreactor system, we studied the effect of diffusion on enzyme activity in a microreactor. As a model system we used the hydrolysis of ortho-nitrophenyl-ß-d-galactopyranoside by ß-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis. We found that the

  7. Differentiation between activity of digestive enzymes of Brachionus calyciflorus and extracellular enzymes of its epizooic bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilko H. AHLRICHS

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available The rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM for surface-attached, i.e. epizootic, bacteria to ascertain their specific localization and thus find out if we could discern between rotifer and bacterial enzyme activity. The lorica of B. calyciflorus was colonized by one distinct type of bacteria, which originated from the algal culture used for rotifer feeding. The corona, posterior epidermis and foot of all inspected individuals were always without attached bacteria. The density of the attached bacteria was higher with the increasing age of B. calyciflorus: while young individuals were colonized by ~ tens of bacterial cells, older ones had on average hundreds to thousands of attached bacteria. We hypothesize that epizooic bacteria may produce the ectoenzymes phosphatases and β-N-acetylhexosaminidases on the lorica, but not on the corona of B. calyciflorus. Since enzyme activities of epizooic bacteria may influence the values and interpretation of bulk rotifer enzyme activities, we should take the bacterial contribution into account.

  8. Enzyme activities in reclaimed coal mine spoils and soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fresquez, P R; Aldon, E F; Lindemann, W C

    1987-11-01

    The segregation and stockpiling of topsoil material may reduce enzymatic activities that may hinder normal nutrient cycling processes in reclaimed minelands. The effects of topsoiling and reclamation age on dehydrogenase, nitrogenase, phosphatase, arylsulphatase, amylase, cellulase, invertase and urease activities were evaluated on three reclaimed non-top-soiled and five reclaimed topsoiled areas and compared with an indisturbed reference soil. Three months after topsoiling and revegetation, activities of the enzymes in the reclaimed areas, with the exception of dehydrogenase, were statistically equal to activities of the undisturbed soil. Most enzymes, including dehydrogenase, peaked in the next 1 or 2 years after reclamation with topsoiling and declined thereafter. A 4-year-old topsoiled site (revegetated in 1978) was statistically similar to the undisturbed soil. Amylase activity, however, was significantly lower after the fourth year compared to the undisturbed soil. The non-topsoiled areas, even after 6, 7 and 8 years, appeared to have lower enzyme activities than the younger topsoiled areas or the undisturbed soil. This trend was supported by the finding that the 4-year-old topsoiled site was more enzymatically similar to the undisturbed soil than was the 8-year-old non-topsoiled site (revegetated in 1974). The low enzyme acitivities found in the non-topsoiled areas may be a result of their adverse chemical and physical properties, as well as the low diversity of microorganisms. These studies demonstrate the value of topsoil use for early establishment of soil processes in reclaimed areas. 3 figs., 19 refs., 8 tabs.

  9. Phytobiotic Utilization as Feed Additive in Feed for Pancreatic Enzyme Activity of Broiler Chicken

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Purwanti

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of turmeric water extract, garlic and combination turmeric and garlic as a feed additive in the broiler diet on pancreatic enzyme activity of broiler chicken. Effectivity of treatments was assessed by addition of phytobiotic (control, 015% zinc bacitracin, 2.5% TE, 2.0% GE, 2.5% TGE which were arranged Completely Randomized Design with 4 replications. The variables measured were pancreatic enzyme activity(amylase enzyme activity, protease enzyme activity  and lipase enzyme activity.The results showed that enzyme protein activity content of 2.5% TE supplementation is also high at 82.02 U/ml, then supplemented 2.5% TGE, 2.0% GE, negative control and positive control respectively 75.98 ; 72.02; 68.74; and 66.57 U/ml. The lipase enzyme activity whereas the negative control and a positive control differ significantly higher (P<0.05 to treatment with the addition of 2.5% TE, 2.0% GE and 2.5% TGE phytobiotic. The research concluded that the incorporation of 2.5% TE, 2% GE and combined 2.5% TGE as feed additive enhanced pancreatic enzyme activity.

  10. [The restoration of the enzyme activity of chernozem soil after gamma-irradiation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denisova, T V; Kazeev, K Sh

    2006-01-01

    The Influence of gamma-radiation by dozes 1, 5, 10 and 20 kGy on enzyme activity of ordinary chemozem were studied. Dynamics of the restoration of the enzyme activity after the influence of gamma-radiation in model experiments in 3, 30, 90 and 180 days was investigated. The doze 1 kGy did no statistically significant influence on the investigated enzymes. Dehydrogenase is more radiosensitive enzyme than catalase. Values of the saccharase activity differed a significant variation so in most cases it has not been registered statistically significant changes. In 90-180 days of the incubation enzymes activity was restored up to control values. Dehydrogenase activity in 180 days in variants with dozes 10 and 20 kGy was restored up to a level of the control, over variants with dozes 1 and 5 kGy--is higher than the control over 78% and 23% accordingly. Saccharase activity in 180 days after the influence of gamma-radiation with a doze 20 kGy was on 61% lower than the control.

  11. Dynamic relationships between microbial biomass, respiration, inorganic nutrients and enzyme activities: informing enzyme based decomposition models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daryl L Moorhead

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available We re-examined data from a recent litter decay study to determine if additional insights could be gained to inform decomposition modeling. Rinkes et al. (2013 conducted 14-day laboratory incubations of sugar maple (Acer saccharum or white oak (Quercus alba leaves, mixed with sand (0.4% organic C content or loam (4.1% organic C. They measured microbial biomass C, carbon dioxide efflux, soil ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations, and β-glucosidase (BG, β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG, and acid phosphatase (AP activities on days 1, 3, and 14. Analyses of relationships among variables yielded different insights than original analyses of individual variables. For example, although respiration rates per g soil were higher for loam than sand, rates per g soil C were actually higher for sand than loam, and rates per g microbial C showed little difference between treatments. Microbial biomass C peaked on day 3 when biomass-specific activities of enzymes were lowest, suggesting uptake of litter C without extracellular hydrolysis. This result refuted a common model assumption that all enzyme production is constitutive and thus proportional to biomass, and/or indicated that part of litter decay is independent of enzyme activity. The length and angle of vectors defined by ratios of enzyme activities (BG/NAG versus BG/AP represent relative microbial investments in C (length, and N and P (angle acquiring enzymes. Shorter lengths on day 3 suggested low C limitation, whereas greater lengths on day 14 suggested an increase in C limitation with decay. The soils and litter in this study generally had stronger P limitation (angles > 45˚. Reductions in vector angles to < 45˚ for sand by day 14 suggested a shift to N limitation. These relational variables inform enzyme-based models, and are usually much less ambiguous when obtained from a single study in which measurements were made on the same samples than when extrapolated from separate studies.

  12. An evaluation on elastase enzyme activity in gingival crevicular fluid in periodontitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qujeq D

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available Statement of Problem: Changes in protein levels, host calls enzymes and inflammatory mediators in gingival"ncrevicular Fluid (GCF are considered as diagnostic indicators of Periodontitis."nPurpose: he aim of the present study was to measure the elastase enzyme activity in gingival crevicular Fluid"namong patients with periodontitis."nMaterial and Methods: In this study, 52 periodontitis patients (experimental group and 51 healthy subjects"nwithout any gingival inflammatio (control group were participated. Subjects of the periodontitis group"nshowed pockets of 4-5 mm depth without gingival enlargement and recession or pockets of 1-2 mm depth"nwith gingival recession. For enzyme activity measurement, lOOu,! of gingival fluid of each sample was mixed"nwith lOOu! of enzyme substrate on the tube. The mixture was incubated at 34°c for lh with a buffer solution"nof 1ml volume and absorbance was read at 410nm with spectrophotometer. The enzyme activity differences"nbetween two groups were analyzed by student t test."nResults: The elastase enzyme activity in gingival crevicular fluid in subjects with periodontium destruction"nand control subjects was 153±11.3 and 52.7±10.4 enzyme unit in ml per minute, respectively. The difference"nbetween groups was statistically significant (PO.05."nConclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the measurement of elastae enzyme activity could be a useful"nindication of tissue changes that may ultimately manifest clinically as periodontitis.

  13. Remote enzyme activation using gold coated magnetite as antennae for radio frequency fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Christian B.; Ackerson, Christopher J.

    2018-02-01

    The emerging field of remote enzyme activation, or the ability to remotely turn thermophilic increase enzyme activity, could be a valuable tool for understanding cellular processes. Through exploitation of the temperature dependence of enzymatic processes and high thermal stability of thermophilic enzymes these experiments utilize nanoparticles as `antennae' that convert radiofrequency (RF) radiation into local heat, increasing activity of the enzymes without increasing the temperature of the surrounding bulk solution. To investigate this possible tool, thermolysin, a metalloprotease was covalently conjugated to 4nm gold coated magnetite particles via peptide bond formation with the protecting ligand shell. RF stimulated protease activity at 17.76 MHz in a solenoid shaped antenna, utilizing both electric and magnetic field interactions was investigated. On average 40 percent higher protease activity was observed in the radio frequency fields then when bulk heating the sample to the same temperature. This is attributed to electrophoretic motion of the nanoparticle enzyme conjugates and local regions of heat generated by the relaxation of the magnetite cores with the oscillating field. Radio frequency local heating of nanoparticles conjugated to enzymes as demonstrated could be useful in the activation of specific enzymes in complex cellular environments.

  14. Ligninolytic enzyme activities in mycelium of some wild and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Lignin is probably one of the most recalcitrant compounds synthesized by plants. This compound is degraded by few microorganisms. White-rot fungi have been extensively studied due to its powerful ligninolytic enzymes. In this study, ligninolytic enzyme activities of different fungal species (six commercial and 13 wild) were ...

  15. Activity of selected hydrolytic enzymes in Allium sativum L. anthers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winiarczyk, Krystyna; Gębura, Joanna

    2016-05-01

    The aim of the study was to determine enzymatic activity in sterile Allium sativum anthers in the final stages of male gametophyte development (the stages of tetrads and free microspores). The analysed enzymes were shown to occur in the form of numerous isoforms. In the tetrad stage, esterase activity was predominant, which was manifested by the greater number of isoforms of the enzyme. In turn, in the microspore stage, higher numbers of isoforms of acid phosphatases and proteases were detected. The development of sterile pollen grains in garlic is associated with a high level of protease and acid phosphatase activity and lower level of esterase activities in the anther locule. Probably this is the first description of the enzymes activity (ACPH, EST, PRO) in the consecutives stages of cell wall formation which is considered to be one of the causes of male sterility in flowering plant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Optimization of Enzyme Co-Immobilization with Sodium Alginate and Glutaraldehyde-Activated Chitosan Beads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gür, Sinem Diken; İdil, Neslihan; Aksöz, Nilüfer

    2018-02-01

    In this study, two different materials-alginate and glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan beads-were used for the co-immobilization of α-amylase, protease, and pectinase. Firstly, optimization of multienzyme immobilization with Na alginate beads was carried out. Optimum Na alginate and CaCl 2 concentration were found to be 2.5% and 0.1 M, respectively, and optimal enzyme loading ratio was determined as 2:1:0.02 for pectinase, protease, and α-amylase, respectively. Next, the immobilization of multiple enzymes on glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan beads was optimized (3% chitosan concentration, 0.25% glutaraldehyde with 3 h of activation and 3 h of coupling time). While co-immobilization was successfully performed with both materials, the specific activities of enzymes were found to be higher for the enzymes co-immobilized with glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan beads. In this process, glutaraldehyde was acting as a spacer arm. SEM and FTIR were used for the characterization of activated chitosan beads. Moreover, pectinase and α-amylase enzymes immobilized with chitosan beads were also found to have higher activity than their free forms. Three different enzymes were co-immobilized with these two materials for the first time in this study.

  17. An approach to mitigating soil CO2 emission by biochemically inhibiting cellulolytic microbial populations through mediation via the medicinal herb Isatis indigotica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hong-Sheng; Chen, Su-Yun; Li, Ji; Liu, Dong-Yang; Zhou, Ji; Xu, Ya; Shang, Xiao-Xia; Wei, Dong-yang; Yu, Lu-ji; Fang, Xiao-hang; Li, Shun-yi; Wang, Ke-ke

    2017-06-01

    Greenhouse gases (GHGs, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2)) emissions from soil under wheat production are a significant source of agricultural carbon emissions that have not been mitigated effectively. A field experiment and a static incubation study in a lab were conducted to stimulate wheat growth and investigate its potential to reduce CO2 emissions from soil through intercropping with a traditional Chinese medicinal herb called Isatis indigotica. This work was conducted by adding I. indigotica root exudates based on the quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis of the DNA copy number of the rhizosphere or bulk soil microbial populations. This addition was performed in relation to the CO2 formation by cellulolytic microorganisms (Penicillium oxalicum, fungi and Ruminococcus albus) to elucidate the microbial ecological basis for the molecular mechanism that decreases CO2 emissions from wheat fields using I. indigotica. The results showed that the panicle weight and full grains per panicle measured through intercropping with I. indigotica (NPKWR) increased by 39% and 28.6%, respectively, compared to that of the CK (NPKW). Intercropping with I. indigotica significantly decreased the CO2 emissions from soil under wheat cultivation. Compared with CK, the total CO2 emission flux during the wheat growth period in the I. indigotica (NPKWR) intercropping treatment decreased by 29.26%. The intensity of CO2 emissions per kg of harvested wheat grain declined from 7.53 kg CO2/kg grain in the NPKW (CK) treatment to 5.55 kg CO2/kg grain in the NPKWR treatment. The qPCR analysis showed that the DNA copy number of the microbial populations of cellulolytic microorganisms (P. oxalicum, fungi and R. albus) in the field rhizosphere around I. indigotica or in the bulk soil under laboratory incubation was significantly lower than that of CK. This finding indicated that root exudates from I. indigotica inhibited the activity and number of cellulolytic microbial populations, which led

  18. Revealing hidden effect of earthworm on C distribution and enzyme activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razavi, Bahar S.; Hoang, Duyen; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2017-04-01

    Despite its importance for terrestrial nutrient and carbon cycling, the spatial organization and localization of microbial activity in soil and in biopores is poorly understood. We hypothesized that biopores created by earthworm play a critical role in reducing the gap of SOM input and microbial activities between topsoil and subsoil. Accordingly, Carbon (C) allocation by earthworms was related to enzyme distribution along soil profile. For the first time we visualized spatial distribution of enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, chitinase and acid phosphatase) and C allocation (by 14C imaging) in earthworm biopores in topsoil and subsoil. Soil zymography (an in situ method for the analysis of the two-dimensional distribution of enzyme activity in soil) was accompanied with 14C imaging (a method that enables to trace distribution of litter and C in soil profile) to visualize change of enzyme activities along with SOM incorporation by earthworms from topsoil to subsoil. Experiment was set up acquiring rhizoboxes (9×1×50 cm) filled up with fresh soil and 3 earthworms (L. terrestris), which were then layered with 14C-labeled plant-litter of 0.3 MBq on the soil surface. 14C imaging and zymography have been carried out after one month. Activities of all enzymes regardless of their nutrient involvement (C, N, P) were higher in the biopores than in bulk soil, but the differences were larger in topsoil compared to subsoil. Among three enzymes, Phosphatase activity was 4-times higher in the biopore than in the bulk soil. Phosphatase activity was closely associated with edge of burrows and correlate positively with 14C activity. These results emphasized especial contribution of hotspheres such as biopores to C allocation in subsoil - which is limited in C input and nutrients - and in stimulation of microbial and enzymatic activity by input of organic residues, e.g. by earthworms. In conclusion, biopore increased enzymatic mobilization of nutrients (e.g. P) inducing allocation

  19. Molecular dynamics explorations of active site structure in designed and evolved enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osuna, Sílvia; Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Noey, Elizabeth L; Houk, K N

    2015-04-21

    This Account describes the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to reveal how mutations alter the structure and organization of enzyme active sites. As proposed by Pauling about 70 years ago and elaborated by many others since then, biocatalysis is efficient when functional groups in the active site of an enzyme are in optimal positions for transition state stabilization. Changes in mechanism and covalent interactions are often critical parts of enzyme catalysis. We describe our explorations of the dynamical preorganization of active sites using MD, studying the fluctuations between active and inactive conformations normally concealed to static crystallography. MD shows how the various arrangements of active site residues influence the free energy of the transition state and relates the populations of the catalytic conformational ensemble to the enzyme activity. This Account is organized around three case studies from our laboratory. We first describe the importance of dynamics in evaluating a series of computationally designed and experimentally evolved enzymes for the Kemp elimination, a popular subject in the enzyme design field. We find that the dynamics of the active site is influenced not only by the original sequence design and subsequent mutations but also by the nature of the ligand present in the active site. In the second example, we show how microsecond MD has been used to uncover the role of remote mutations in the active site dynamics and catalysis of a transesterase, LovD. This enzyme was evolved by Tang at UCLA and Codexis, Inc., and is a useful commercial catalyst for the production of the drug simvastatin. X-ray analysis of inactive and active mutants did not reveal differences in the active sites, but relatively long time scale MD in solution showed that the active site of the wild-type enzyme preorganizes only upon binding of the acyl carrier protein (ACP) that delivers the natural acyl group to the active site. In the absence of bound ACP

  20. Spatial distribution of enzyme activities along the root and in the rhizosphere of different plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razavi, Bahar S.; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2015-04-01

    Extracellular enzymes are important for decomposition of many biological macromolecules abundant in soil such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and proteins. Activities of enzymes produced by both plant roots and microbes are the primary biological drivers of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. So far acquisition of in situ data about local activity of different enzymes in soil has been challenged. That is why there is an urgent need in spatially explicit methods such as 2-D zymography to determine the variation of enzymes along the roots in different plants. Here, we developed further the zymography technique in order to quantitatively visualize the enzyme activities (Spohn and Kuzyakov, 2013), with a better spatial resolution We grew Maize (Zea mays L.) and Lentil (Lens culinaris) in rhizoboxes under optimum conditions for 21 days to study spatial distribution of enzyme activity in soil and along roots. We visualized the 2D distribution of the activity of three enzymes:β-glucosidase, leucine amino peptidase and phosphatase, using fluorogenically labelled substrates. Spatial resolution of fluorescent images was improved by direct application of a substrate saturated membrane to the soil-root system. The newly-developed direct zymography shows different pattern of spatial distribution of enzyme activity along roots and soil of different plants. We observed a uniform distribution of enzyme activities along the root system of Lentil. However, root system of Maize demonstrated inhomogeneity of enzyme activities. The apical part of an individual root (root tip) in maize showed the highest activity. The activity of all enzymes was the highest at vicinity of the roots and it decreased towards the bulk soil. Spatial patterns of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root surface were enzyme specific, with highest extension for phosphatase. We conclude that improved zymography is promising in situ technique to analyze, visualize and quantify

  1. Synergistic and Dose-Controlled Regulation of Cellulase Gene Expression in Penicillium oxalicum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhonghai; Yao, Guangshan; Wu, Ruimei; Gao, Liwei; Kan, Qinbiao; Liu, Meng; Yang, Piao; Liu, Guodong; Qin, Yuqi; Song, Xin; Zhong, Yaohua; Fang, Xu; Qu, Yinbo

    2015-09-01

    Filamentous fungus Penicillium oxalicum produces diverse lignocellulolytic enzymes, which are regulated by the combinations of many transcription factors. Here, a single-gene disruptant library for 470 transcription factors was constructed and systematically screened for cellulase production. Twenty transcription factors (including ClrB, CreA, XlnR, Ace1, AmyR, and 15 unknown proteins) were identified to play putative roles in the activation or repression of cellulase synthesis. Most of these regulators have not been characterized in any fungi before. We identified the ClrB, CreA, XlnR, and AmyR transcription factors as critical dose-dependent regulators of cellulase expression, the core regulons of which were identified by analyzing several transcriptomes and/or secretomes. Synergistic and additive modes of combinatorial control of each cellulase gene by these regulatory factors were achieved, and cellulase expression was fine-tuned in a proper and controlled manner. With one of these targets, the expression of the major intracellular β-glucosidase Bgl2 was found to be dependent on ClrB. The Bgl2-deficient background resulted in a substantial gene activation by ClrB and proved to be closely correlated with the relief of repression mediated by CreA and AmyR during cellulase induction. Our results also signify that probing the synergistic and dose-controlled regulation mechanisms of cellulolytic regulators and using it for reconstruction of expression regulation network (RERN) may be a promising strategy for cellulolytic fungi to develop enzyme hyper-producers. Based on our data, ClrB was identified as focal point for the synergistic activation regulation of cellulase expression by integrating cellulolytic regulators and their target genes, which refined our understanding of transcriptional-regulatory network as a "seesaw model" in which the coordinated regulation of cellulolytic genes is established by counteracting activators and repressors.

  2. Influence of long-term fertilization on soil enzyme activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alina Dora SAMUEL

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Soil enzyme activities (actual and potential dehydrogenase, catalase, acid and alkaline phosphatase were determined in the 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm layers of a brown luvic soil submitted to a complex fertilization experiment with different types of green manure. It was found that each activity decreased with increasing sampling depth. It should be emphasized that greenmanuring of maize led to a significant increase in each of the five enzymatic activities determined. The enzymatic indicators of soil quality calculated from the values of enzymatic activities showed the order: lupinus + rape + oat > lupinus > vetch + oat + ryegrass > lupinus + oat + vetch > unfertilized plot. This order means that by determination of enzymatic activities valuable information can be obtained regarding fertility status of soils. There were significant correlations of soil enzyme activities with chemical properties.

  3. A metal-based inhibitor of NEDD8-activating enzyme.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Jing Zhong

    Full Text Available A cyclometallated rhodium(III complex [Rh(ppy(2(dppz](+ (1 (where ppy=2-phenylpyridine and dppz=dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine dipyridophenazine has been prepared and identified as an inhibitor of NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE. The complex inhibited NAE activity in cell-free and cell-based assays, and suppressed the CRL-regulated substrate degradation and NF-κB activation in human cancer cells with potency comparable to known NAE inhibitor MLN4924. Molecular modeling analysis suggested that the overall binding mode of 1 within the binding pocket of the APPBP1/UBA3 heterodimer resembled that for MLN4924. Complex 1 is the first metal complex reported to suppress the NEDDylation pathway via inhibition of the NEDD8-activating enzyme.

  4. Enzyme activity screening of thermophilic bacteria isolated from Dusun Tua Hot Spring, Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Msarah, Marwan; Ibrahim, Izyanti; Aqma, Wan Syaidatul

    2018-04-01

    Thermophilic bacteria have biotechnological importance due to the availability of unique enzymes which are stable in extreme circumstances. The aim of this study includes to isolate thermophilic bacteria from hot spring and screen for important enzyme activities. Water samples from the Dusun Tua Hot Spring were collected and the physiochemical characterisation of water was measured. Eight thermophilic bacteria were isolated and determined to have at least three strong enzyme activity including protease, lipase, amylase, cellulase, pectinase and xylanase. The results showed that HuluC2 displayed all the enzyme activities and can be further studied.

  5. Understanding drivers of peatland extracellular enzyme activity in the PEATcosm experiment: mixed evidence for enzymic latch hypothesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karl J. Romanowicz; Evan S. Kane; Lynette R. Potvin; Aleta L. Daniels; Randy Kolka; Erik A. Lilleskov

    2015-01-01

    Aims. Our objective was to assess the impacts of water table position and plant functional groups on peatland extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) framed within the context of the enzymic latch hypothesis. Methods. We utilized a full factorial experiment with 2 water table (WT) treatments (high and low) and 3 plant functional...

  6. Subcellular distribution of histone-degrading enzyme activities from rat liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinrich, P.C.; Raydt, G.; Puschendorf, B.; Jusic, M.

    1976-01-01

    Chromatin prepared from liver tissue contains a histone-degrading enzyme activity with a pH optimum of 7.5-8.0, whereas chromatin isolated from purified nuclei is devoid of it. The histone-degrading enzyme activity was assayed with radioactively labelled total histones from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Among the different subcellular fractions assayed, only lysosomes and mitochondria exhibited histone-degrading enzymes. A pH optimum around 4.0-5.0 was found for the lysosomal fraction, whereas 7.5-8.0 has been found for mitochondria. Binding studies of frozen and thawed lysosomes or mitochondria to proteinase-free chromatin demonstrate that the proteinase associated with chromatin isolated from frozen tissue originates from damaged mitochondria. The protein degradation patterns obtained after acrylamide gel electrophoresis are similar for the chromatin-associated and the mitochondrial proteinase and different from that obtained after incubation with lysosomes. The chromatin-associated proteinase as well as the mitochondrial proteinase are strongly inhibited by 1.0 mM phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride. Weak inhibition is found for lysosomal proteinases at pH 5. Kallikrein-trypsin inhibitor, however, inhibits lysosomal proteinase activity and has no effect on either chromatin-associated or mitochondrial proteinases. The higher template activity of chromatin isolated from a total homogenate compared to chromatin prepared from nuclei may be due to the presence of this histone-degrading enzyme activity. (orig.) [de

  7. Gaseous environment of plants and activity of enzymes of carbohydrate catabolism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, B.F.; Zemlyanukhin, A.A.; Igamberdiev, A.U.; Salam, A.M.M.

    1989-01-01

    The authors investigated the action of hypoxia and high CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere on activity of phosphofructokinase, aldolase, glucose phosphate isomerase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and isocitrate lyase in pea seedlings (Pisum sativum L.), corn scutella (Zea mays L.), and hemp cotyledons (Cannabis sativa L.). The first 4-12h of hypoxia witnessed suppression of enzymes of the initial stages of glycolysis (glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, phosphofructokinase)and activation of enzymes of its final stages (alcohol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase) and enzymes linking glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway (aldolase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). An excess of CO 2 in the environment accelerated and amplified this effect. At the end of a 24-h period of anaerobic incubation, deviations of enzyme activity from the control were leveled in both gaseous environments. An exception was observed in the case of phosphofructokinase, whose activity increased markedly at this time in plants exposed to CO 2 . Changes in activity of the enzymes were coupled with changes in their kinetic parameters (apparent K m and V max values). The activity of isocitrate lyase was suppressed in both variants of hypoxic gaseous environments, a finding that does not agree with the hypothesis as to participation of the glyoxylate cycle in the metabolic response of plants to oxygen stress. Thus, temporary inhibition of the system of glycolysis and activation of the pentose phosphate pathway constituted the initial response of the plants to O 2 stress, and CO 2 intensified this metabolic response

  8. Ultrasound assisted intensification of enzyme activity and its properties: a mini-review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadar, Shamraja S; Rathod, Virendra K

    2017-08-22

    Over the last decade, ultrasound technique has emerged as the potential technology which shows large applications in food and biotechnology processes. Earlier, ultrasound has been employed as a method of enzyme inactivation but recently, it has been found that ultrasound does not inactivate all enzymes, particularly, under mild conditions. It has been shown that the use of ultrasonic treatment at appropriate frequencies and intensity levels can lead to enhanced enzyme activity due to favourable conformational changes in protein molecules without altering its structural integrity. The present review article gives an overview of influence of ultrasound irradiation parameters (intensity, duty cycle and frequency) and enzyme related factors (enzyme concentration, temperature and pH) on the catalytic activity of enzyme during ultrasound treatment. Also, it includes the effect of ultrasound on thermal kinetic parameters and Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters (k m and V max ) of enzymes. Further, in this review, the physical and chemical effects of ultrasound on enzyme have been correlated with thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy and entropy). Various techniques used for investigating the conformation changes in enzyme after sonication have been highlighted. At the end, different techniques of immobilization for ultrasound treated enzyme have been summarized.

  9. ATPase Activity Measurements by an Enzyme-Coupled Spectrophotometric Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sehgal, Pankaj; Olesen, Claus; Møller, Jesper V

    2016-01-01

    Enzymatic coupled assays are usually based on the spectrophotometric registration of changes in NADH/NAD(+) or NADPH/NADP(+) absorption at 340 nm accompanying the oxidation/reduction of reactants that by dehydrogenases and other helper enzymes are linked to the activity of the enzymatic reaction under study. The present NADH-ATP-coupled assay for ATPase activity is a seemingly somewhat complicated procedure, but in practice adaptation to performance is easily acquired. It is a more safe and elegant method than colorimetric methods, but not suitable for handling large number of samples, and also presupposes that the activity of the helper enzymes is not severely affected by the chemical environment of the sample in which it is tested.

  10. Interrogating the activities of conformational deformed enzyme by single-molecule fluorescence-magnetic tweezers microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Qing; He, Yufan; Lu, H. Peter

    2015-01-01

    Characterizing the impact of fluctuating enzyme conformation on enzymatic activity is critical in understanding the structure–function relationship and enzymatic reaction dynamics. Different from studying enzyme conformations under a denaturing condition, it is highly informative to manipulate the conformation of an enzyme under an enzymatic reaction condition while monitoring the real-time enzymatic activity changes simultaneously. By perturbing conformation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) molecules using our home-developed single-molecule total internal reflection magnetic tweezers, we successfully manipulated the enzymatic conformation and probed the enzymatic activity changes of HRP in a catalyzed H2O2–amplex red reaction. We also observed a significant tolerance of the enzyme activity to the enzyme conformational perturbation. Our results provide a further understanding of the relation between enzyme behavior and enzymatic conformational fluctuation, enzyme–substrate interactions, enzyme–substrate active complex formation, and protein folding–binding interactions. PMID:26512103

  11. Heterogeneity of hydrolytic enzyme activities under drought: imaging and quantitative analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanaullah, Muhammad; Razavi, Bahar S.; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2015-04-01

    The zymography-based "snap-shoot" of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere is challenging to detect the in situ microbial response to global climate change. We developed in situ soil zymography and used it for identification and localization of hotspots of β-glucosidase activity in the rhizosphere of maize under drought stress (30% of field capacity). The zymographic signals were especially high at root tips and were much stronger for activity of β-glucosidase under drought as compared with optimal moisture (70% of field capacity). This distribution of enzyme activity was confirmed by fluorogenically labelled substrates applied directly to the root exudates. The activity of β-glucosidase in root exudates (produced by root and microorganism associated on the root surface), sampled within 1 hour after zymography was significantly higher by drought stressed plants as compared with optimal moisture. In contrast, the β-glucosidase activity in destructively sampled rhizosphere soil was lower under drought stress compared with optimal moisture. Furthermore, drought stress did not affected β-glucosidase activity in bulk soil, away from rhizosphere. Consequently, we conclude that higher release of mucilage by roots und drought stimulated β-glucosidase activity in the rhizosphere. Thus, the zymography revealed plant-mediated mechanisms accelerating β-glucosidase activity under drought at the root-soil interface. So, coupling of zymography and enzyme assays in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil enables precise mapping the changes in two-dimensional distribution of enzyme activities due to climate change within dynamic soil interfaces.

  12. Adsorption and enzyme activity of asparaginase at lipid Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rocha Junior, Carlos da; Caseli, Luciano

    2017-01-01

    In this present work, the surface activity of the enzyme asparaginase was investigated at the air-water interface, presenting surface activity in high ionic strengths. Asparaginase was incorporated in Langmuir monolayers of the phospholipid dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), forming a mixed film, which was characterized with surface pressure-area isotherms, surface potential-area isotherms, polarization-modulated infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). The adsorption of the enzyme at the air-water interface condensed the lipid monolayer and increased the film compressibility at high surface pressures. Amide bands in the PM-IRRAS spectra were identified, with the C−N and C =O dipole moments lying parallel to monolayer plane, revealing the structuring of the enzyme into α-helices and β-sheets. The floating monolayers were transferred to solid supports as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films and characterized with fluorescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Catalytic activities of the films were measured and compared to the homogenous medium. The enzyme accommodated in the LB films preserved more than 78% of the enzyme activity after 30 days, in contrast for the homogeneous medium, which preserved less than 13%. The method presented in this work not only allows for an enhanced catalytic activity, but also can help explain why certain film architectures exhibit better performance. - Highlights: • Biomembranes are mimicked with Langmuir monolayers. • Asparaginase is incorporated into the lipid monolayer. • Enzyme adsorption is confirmed with tensiometry and infrared spectroscopy. • Langmuir-Blodgett films of the enzyme present enzyme activity.

  13. Adsorption and enzyme activity of asparaginase at lipid Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rocha Junior, Carlos da; Caseli, Luciano, E-mail: lcaseli@unifesp.br

    2017-04-01

    In this present work, the surface activity of the enzyme asparaginase was investigated at the air-water interface, presenting surface activity in high ionic strengths. Asparaginase was incorporated in Langmuir monolayers of the phospholipid dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), forming a mixed film, which was characterized with surface pressure-area isotherms, surface potential-area isotherms, polarization-modulated infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). The adsorption of the enzyme at the air-water interface condensed the lipid monolayer and increased the film compressibility at high surface pressures. Amide bands in the PM-IRRAS spectra were identified, with the C−N and C =O dipole moments lying parallel to monolayer plane, revealing the structuring of the enzyme into α-helices and β-sheets. The floating monolayers were transferred to solid supports as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films and characterized with fluorescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Catalytic activities of the films were measured and compared to the homogenous medium. The enzyme accommodated in the LB films preserved more than 78% of the enzyme activity after 30 days, in contrast for the homogeneous medium, which preserved less than 13%. The method presented in this work not only allows for an enhanced catalytic activity, but also can help explain why certain film architectures exhibit better performance. - Highlights: • Biomembranes are mimicked with Langmuir monolayers. • Asparaginase is incorporated into the lipid monolayer. • Enzyme adsorption is confirmed with tensiometry and infrared spectroscopy. • Langmuir-Blodgett films of the enzyme present enzyme activity.

  14. Experimental Strategy to Discover Microbes with Gluten-degrading Enzyme Activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmerhorst, Eva J; Wei, Guoxian

    2014-05-05

    Gluten proteins contained in the cereals barley, rye and wheat cause an inflammatory disorder called celiac disease in genetically predisposed individuals. Certain immunogenic gluten domains are resistant to degradation by mammalian digestive enzymes. Enzymes with the ability to target such domains are potentially of clinical use. Of particular interest are gluten-degrading enzymes that would be naturally present in the human body, e.g. associated with resident microbial species. This manuscript describes a selective gluten agar approach and four enzyme activity assays, including a gliadin zymogram assay, designed for the selection and discovery of novel gluten-degrading microorganisms from human biological samples. Resident and harmless bacteria and/or their derived enzymes could potentially find novel applications in the treatment of celiac disease, in the form of a probiotic agent or as a dietary enzyme supplement.

  15. Characterization of the cellulolytic secretome of Trichoderma harzianum during growth on sugarcane bagasse and analysis of the activity boosting effects of swollenin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    A L Rocha, Vanessa; N Maeda, Roberto; Pereira, Nei; F Kern, Marcelo; Elias, Luisa; Simister, Rachael; Steele-King, Clare; Gómez, Leonardo D; McQueen-Mason, Simon J

    2016-03-01

    This study demonstrates the production of an active enzyme cocktail produced by growing Trichoderma harzianum on sugarcane bagasse. The component enzymes were identified by LCMS-MS. Glycosyl hydrolases were the most abundant class of proteins, representing 67% of total secreted protein. Other carbohydrate active enzymes involved in cell wall deconstruction included lytic polysaccharide mono-oxygenases (AA9), carbohydrate-binding modules, carbohydrate esterases and swollenin, all present at levels of 1%. In total, proteases and lipases represented 5 and 1% of the total secretome, respectively, with the rest of the secretome being made up of proteins of unknown or putative function. This enzyme cocktail was efficient in catalysing the hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse cellulolignin to fermentable sugars for potential use in ethanol production. Apart from mapping the secretome of T. harzianum, which is a very important tool to understand the catalytic performance of enzyme cocktails, the gene coding for T. harzianum swollenin was expressed in Aspergillus niger. This novel aspect in this work, allowed increasing the swollenin concentration by 95 fold. This is the first report about the heterologous expression of swollenin from T. harzianum, and the findings are of interest in enriching enzyme cocktail with this important accessory protein which takes part in the cellulose amorphogenesis. Despite lacking detectable glycoside activity, the addition of swollenin of T. harzianum increased by two-fold the hydrolysis efficiency of a commercial cellulase cocktail. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:327-336, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  16. Hydrolytic enzyme activity enhanced by Barium supplementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camilo Muñoz

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Hydrolysis of polymers is a first and often limiting step during the degradation of plant residues. Plant biomass is generally a major component of waste residues and a major renewable resource to obtain a variety of secondary products including biofuels. Improving the performance of enzymatic hydrolysis of plant material with minimum costs and limiting the use of additional microbial biomass or hydrolytic enzymes directly influences competitiveness of these green biotechnological processes. In this study, we cloned and expressed a cellulase and two esterases recovered from environmental thermophilic soil bacterial communities and characterize their optimum activity conditions including the effect of several metal ions. Results showed that supplementing these hydrolytic reactions with Barium increases the activity of these extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. This observation represents a simple but major improvement to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of this process within an increasingly important biotechnological sector.

  17. Evaluation of the organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme activity in creams and investigation of its stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariye Rajaie

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this project is investigation of the organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH enzyme activity in water in oil (w/o and oil in water (o/w creams and investigation of the OPH enzyme stability in formulated creams. OPH enzyme was extracted and purified from strain flavobacterium. The w/o and o/w creams were prepared using different formulations. In order to achieve an emulsion with maximum stability, appropriate percentage of the cream components was selected by studying different formulations and the physical and chemical stability of the produced cream were considered. 5Uenzyme/90gcream enzyme was used for each formulation. To measure the enzyme activity in creams, extraction method was used and enzyme activity was determined based on parathion hydrolysis. The thermal stability of OPH in both types of w/o and o/w creams was studied at 4 and 30  °C for various time periods. The average enzyme activity was about 0.0065 U/gcream and 0.018 U/gcream for w/o and o/w creams respectivly. According to the results, the relative activity at 4 °C was reduced to 50% after 26 and 45 days in w/o and o/w creams, respectivly. The results showed that the OPH enzyme activity in o/w cream was 2.6 times more than that of w/o cream, because of the higher hydrophobicity of o/w cream compared to w/o. The OPH enzyme stability in o/w cream was greater in comparison to w/o cream. The OPH enzyme was active for nearly 2 months on o/w creams at 4 °C .

  18. Immobilization of Cellulase from Bacillus subtilis UniMAP-KB01 on Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes for Biofuel Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naresh, Sandrasekaran; Hoong Shuit, Siew; Kunasundari, Balakrishnan; Hoo Peng, Yong; Qi, Hwa Ng; Teoh, Yi Peng

    2018-03-01

    Bacillus subtilis UniMAP-KB01, a cellulase producer was isolated from Malaysian mangrove soil. Through morphological identification it was observed that the B. subtilis appears to be in rod shaped and identified as a gram positive bacterium. Growth profile of isolated B. subtilis was established by measuring optical density (OD) at 600 nm for every 1 hour intervals. Polymath software was employed to plot the growth profile and the non-linear plot established gave the precision value of linear regression, R2 of 0.9602, root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.0176 and variance of 0.0025. The hydrolysis capacity testing revealed the cellulolytic index of 2.83 ± 0.46 after stained with Gram’s Iodine. The harvested crude enzyme after 24 hours incubation in carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) broth at 45°C and 100 RPM, was tested for enzyme activity. Through Filter Paper Assay (FPA), the cellulase activity was calculated to be 0.05 U/mL. The hydrolysis capacity testing and FPA shown an acceptable value for thermophilic bacterial enzyme activity. Thus, this isolated strain reasoned to be potential for producing thermostable cellulase which will be immobilized onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes and the cellulolytic activity will be characterized for biofuel production.

  19. A Review of the Role of Amphiphiles in Biomass to Ethanol Conversion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Gibbons

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available One of the concerns for economical production of ethanol from biomass is the large volume and high cost of the cellulolytic enzymes used to convert biomass into fermentable sugars. The presence of acetyl groups in hemicellulose and lignin in plant cell walls reduces accessibility of biomass to the enzymes and makes conversion a slow process. In addition to low enzyme accessibility, a rapid deactivation of cellulases during biomass hydrolysis can be another factor contributing to the low sugar recovery. As of now, the economical reduction in lignin content of the biomass is considered a bottleneck, and raises issues for several reasons. The presence of lignin in biomass reduces the swelling of cellulose fibrils and accessibility of enzyme to carbohydrate polymers. It also causes an irreversible adsorption of the cellulolytic enzymes that prevents effective enzyme activity and recycling. Amphiphiles, such as surfactants and proteins have been found to improve enzyme activity by several mechanisms of action that are not yet fully understood. Reduction in irreversible adsorption of enzyme to non-specific sites, reduction in viscosity of liquid and surface tension and consequently reduced contact of enzyme with air-liquid interface, and modifications in biomass chemical structure are some of the benefits derived from surface active molecules. Application of some of these amphiphiles could potentially reduce the capital and operating costs of bioethanol production by reducing fermentation time and the amount of enzyme used for saccharification of biomass. In this review article, the benefit of applying amphiphiles at various stages of ethanol production (i.e., pretreatment, hydrolysis and hydrolysis-fermentation is reviewed and the proposed mechanisms of actions are described.

  20. Mineralogical impact on long-term patterns of soil nitrogen and phosphorus enzyme activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikutta, Robert; Turner, Stephanie; Meyer-Stüve, Sandra; Guggenberger, Georg; Dohrmann, Reiner; Schippers, Axel

    2014-05-01

    Soil chronosequences provide a unique opportunity to study microbial activity over time in mineralogical diverse soils of different ages. The main objective of this study was to test the effect of mineralogical properties, nutrient and organic matter availability over whole soil pro-files on the abundance and activity of the microbial communities. We focused on microbio-logical processes involved in nitrogen and phosphorus cycling at the 120,000-year Franz Josef soil chronosequence. Microbial abundances (microbial biomass and total cell counts) and enzyme activities (protease, urease, aminopeptidase, and phosphatase) were determined and related to nutrient contents and mineralogical soil properties. Both, microbial abundances and enzyme activities decreased with soil depth at all sites. In the organic layers, microbial biomass and the activities of N-hydrolyzing enzymes showed their maximum at the intermediate-aged sites, corresponding to a high aboveground biomass. In contrast, the phosphatase activity increased with site age. The activities of N-hydrolyzing enzymes were positively correlated with total carbon and nitrogen contents, whereas the phosphatase activity was negatively correlated with the phosphorus content. In the mineral soil, the enzyme activities were generally low, thus reflecting the presence of strongly sorbing minerals. Sub-strate-normalized enzyme activities correlated negatively to clay content as well as poorly crystalline Al and Fe oxyhydroxides, supporting the view that the evolution of reactive sec-ondary mineral phases alters the activity of the microbial communities by constraining sub-strate availability. Our data suggest a strong mineralogical influence on nutrient cycling par-ticularly in subsoil environments.

  1. Seasonal variation in the temperature sensitivity of proteolytic enzyme activity in temperate forest soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brzostek, Edward R.; Finzi, Adrien C.

    2012-03-01

    Increasing soil temperature has the potential to alter the activity of the extracellular enzymes that mobilize nitrogen (N) from soil organic matter (SOM) and ultimately the availability of N for primary production. Proteolytic enzymes depolymerize N from proteinaceous components of SOM into amino acids, and their activity is a principal driver of the within-system cycle of soil N. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the soils of temperate forest tree species differ in the temperature sensitivity of proteolytic enzyme activity over the growing season and the role of substrate limitation in regulating temperature sensitivity. Across species and sampling dates, proteolytic enzyme activity had relatively low sensitivity to temperature with a mean activation energy (Ea) of 33.5 kJ mol-1. Ea declined in white ash, American beech, and eastern hemlock soils across the growing season as soils warmed. By contrast, Eain sugar maple soil increased across the growing season. We used these data to develop a species-specific empirical model of proteolytic enzyme activity for the 2009 calendar year and studied the interactive effects of soil temperature (ambient or +5°C) and substrate limitation (ambient or elevated protein) on enzyme activity. Declines in substrate limitation had a larger single-factor effect on proteolytic enzyme activity than temperature, particularly in the spring. There was, however, a large synergistic effect of increasing temperature and substrate supply on proteolytic enzyme activity. Our results suggest limited increases in N availability with climate warming unless there is a parallel increase in the availability of protein substrates.

  2. Arabinogalactan proteins: focus on carbohydrate active enzymes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva eKnoch

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs are a highly diverse class of cell surface proteoglycans that are commonly found in most plant species. AGPs play important roles in many cellular processes during plant development, such as reproduction, cell proliferation, pattern formation and growth, and in plant-microbe interaction. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of their function. Numerous studies using monoclonal antibodies that recognize different AGP glycan epitopes have shown the appearance of a slightly altered AGP glycan in a specific stage of development in plant cells. Therefore, it is anticipated that the biosynthesis and degradation of AGP glycan is tightly regulated during development. Until recently, however, little was known about the enzymes involved in the metabolism of AGP glycans. In this review, we summarize recent discoveries of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZy; http://www.cazy.org/ involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of AGP glycans, and we discuss the biological role of these enzymes in plant development.

  3. Enzyme activity in bioregulator-treated tomato (Solanum ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2010-05-31

    May 31, 2010 ... African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(22), pp. 3264-3271, 31 ... In this work, spectrophotometric analysis ... most stable enzymes in vegetables and its thermal destruc-tion ... proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and allelochemicals (Hedin et al., 1995) ..... activities isolated from corn root plasma membrane. Plant.

  4. The feasibility of enzyme targeted activation for amino acid/dipeptide monoester prodrugs of floxuridine; cathepsin D as a potential targeted enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsume, Yasuhiro; Amidon, Gordon L

    2012-03-26

    The improvement of therapeutic efficacy for cancer agents has been a big challenge which includes the increase of tumor selectivity and the reduction of adverse effects at non-tumor sites. In order to achieve those goals, prodrug approaches have been extensively investigated. In this report, the potential activation enzymes for 5'-amino acid/dipeptide monoester floxuridine prodrugs in pancreatic cancer cells were selected and the feasibility of enzyme specific activation of prodrugs was evaluated. All prodrugs exhibited the range of 3.0-105.7 min of half life in Capan-2 cell homogenate with the presence and the absence of selective enzyme inhibitors. 5'-O-L-Phenylalanyl-L-tyrosyl-floxuridine exhibited longer half life only with the presence of pepstatin A. Human cathepsin B and D selectively hydrolized 5'-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-tyrosylfloxuridine and 5'-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-glycylfloxuridine compared to the other tested prodrugs. The wide range of growth inhibitory effect by floxuridine prodrugs in Capan-2 cells was observed due to the different affinities of prodrug promoieties to enzymes. In conclusion, it is feasible to design prodrugs which are activated by specific enzymes. Cathepsin D might be a good candidate as a target enzyme for prodrug activation and 5'-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-tyrosylfloxuridine may be the best candidate among the tested floxuridine prodrugs.

  5. Effect of Robola and Cabernet Sauvignon extracts on platelet activating factor enzymes activity on U937 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xanthopoulou, M N; Asimakopoulos, D; Antonopoulou, S; Demopoulos, C A; Fragopoulou, E

    2014-12-15

    A number of studies support the anti-atherogenic effect of wine compounds. The scope of this study was to examine the effect of a red (Cabernet Sauvignon-CS) and a white (Robola-R) wine, as well as resveratrol and quercetin, on the platelet activating factor (PAF) biosynthetic enzymes, acetyl-CoA:lyso-PAF acetyltransferase (lyso-PAF-AT) and DTT-insensitive CDP-choline 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol cholinephosphotransferase (PAF-CPT), and its main catabolic enzyme (PAF acetylhydrolase; PAF-AH), on U937 cells, in cell free and in intact cell experiments. In cell free experiments, phenolic compounds and wine extracts inhibited PAF biosynthetic enzymes, however in higher concentrations than intact cell experiments. In the latter cases, polar lipids of both wines inhibited in the same order of magnitude the action of lyso-PAF-AT and of PAF-CPT. The water fractions possessed a dual action, in lower concentrations they activated both enzymes, while in higher concentrations only inhibited PAF-CPT. All fractions either did not affect or slightly activated PAF-AH activity. In conclusion, wine compounds may exert their anti-inflammatory activity by reducing PAF levels through modulation of the PAF metabolic enzymes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Enzyme activity and allosteric characteristics of gamma-irradiated solid aspartate transcarbamylase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigler, W.N.; Tolbert, B.M.

    1977-01-01

    Aspartate transcarbamylase purified from E. coli was lyophilized, irradiated in vacuo with γ radiation from a cesium-137 source, redissolved in buffer under a nitrogen atmosphere, and assayed for enzyme activity. Lyophilized and redissolved enzyme had normal catalytic and allosteric kinetic characteristics. The average D 37 observed with saturating substrate, 25 mM aspartate, was 4.1 Mrad. With less than saturating substrate, 5 mM aspartate, the activity increases from zero to 1.6 Mrad and then decreases with a D 37 of 7.2 Mrad. Inclusion of 1 mM CTP, an allosteric inhibitor, in the 5 mM aspartate assays results in a more pronounced maximum in the activity curve occurring at slightly higher dose, 2.2 Mrad. Inhibitability by CTP has a D 37 of 2.3 Mrad with doses below the activity maximum. Enzyme lyophilized in the presence of 1 mM CTP has a D 37 of 2.9 Mrad. ATCase activity changes caused by irradiation of lyophylized bacteria were qualitatively like the changes observed in the detailed studies with the purified enzyme. Apparent radiation sensitivities of ATCase in lyophilized bacteria were observed to vary with the technique used to disrupt the resuspended bacteria

  7. Disturbances in lysosomal enzymes activity in rats, following experimental postradiation disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drozdz, M.; Piwowarczyk, B.; Olczyk, K.; Pikula-Zachara, M.

    1981-01-01

    The studies were aimed at detecting the biological effects of radiation on rat's organism, through studying the activity of lysosomal enzymes in blood plasma and some organs. The contemporary studies suggest that lysosomes play an important role in the occurrence and course of postradiation disease. The obtained results suggest the multidirectional gamma-rays effects on lysosomal enzymes response in serum, leucocytes, liver lysosomes and in liver, kidneys, lungs, heart. Increased activity of acid phosphatase, beta-glucoronidase and beta-acetyl-glucosaminase in the tissues of irradiated animals indicates that gamma rays labilizate the lysosomal membrane. The range of changes indicates a selective nature of this phenomenon. Kidneys, lungs and liver appeared the most ray-sensitive organs. The activity of acid phosphatase was found to be most increased in blood serum and leucocytes. The activity of all examined enzymes in liver lysosomes was decreased. Acid phosphatase exhibited the greatest activity increases. Lysosomal responses are indicative of the degree of destructive or regenerative changes in the organism. (author)

  8. Characterization of inhibitor(s) of β-glucuronidase enzyme activity in GUS-transgenic wheat

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Ahmed M Ali

    2011-06-26

    The uidA gene, encoding for β-glucuronidase (GUS), is the most frequently used reporter gene in plants. As a reporter enzyme, GUS can be assayed both qualitatively and quantitatively. In wheat, there are numerous reports of failure in detecting GUS enzyme activity in tissues of transgenic plants, while other reports have suggested presence of β-glucuronidase inhibitor(s) in wheat tissues. In the present study, we show that the β-glucuronidase enzyme activity is not only tissue-specific but also genotype-dependent. Our data demonstrate that the glucuronic acid could be the candidate inhibitor for β-glucuronidase enzyme activity in wheat leaves and roots. It should be noted that the assays to detect β-glucuronidase enzyme activity in wheat should be interpreted carefully. Based on the data of our present study, we recommend studying the chemical pathways, the unintended effects and the possible loss-of-function of any candidate transgene prior to transformation experiments. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

  9. Characterization of inhibitor(s) of β-glucuronidase enzyme activity in GUS-transgenic wheat

    KAUST Repository

    Ramadan, Ahmed M Ali; Eissa, Hala F.; El-Domyati, Fotouh M.; Saleh, Osama Mesilhy; Ibrahim, Nasser E.; Salama, M. I.; Mahfouz, Magdy M.; Bahieldin, Ahmed M.

    2011-01-01

    The uidA gene, encoding for β-glucuronidase (GUS), is the most frequently used reporter gene in plants. As a reporter enzyme, GUS can be assayed both qualitatively and quantitatively. In wheat, there are numerous reports of failure in detecting GUS enzyme activity in tissues of transgenic plants, while other reports have suggested presence of β-glucuronidase inhibitor(s) in wheat tissues. In the present study, we show that the β-glucuronidase enzyme activity is not only tissue-specific but also genotype-dependent. Our data demonstrate that the glucuronic acid could be the candidate inhibitor for β-glucuronidase enzyme activity in wheat leaves and roots. It should be noted that the assays to detect β-glucuronidase enzyme activity in wheat should be interpreted carefully. Based on the data of our present study, we recommend studying the chemical pathways, the unintended effects and the possible loss-of-function of any candidate transgene prior to transformation experiments. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

  10. Antibacterial and glucosyltransferase enzyme inhibitory activity of helmyntostachyszelanica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuspradini, H.; Putri, AS; Mitsunaga, T.

    2018-04-01

    Helminthostachyszeylanica is a terrestrial, herbaceous, fern-like plant of southeastern Asia and Australia, commonly known as tunjuk-langit. This kind of plant have a medicinal properties such as treatment of malaria, dysentery and can be eaten with betel in the treatment of whooping cough. To evaluate the scientific basis for the use of the plant, the antimicrobial activities of extracts of the stem and leaves were evaluated. The bacteria used in this study is Streptococcus sobrinus, a species of gram-positive, that may be associated with human dental caries. The dried powdered plant parts were extracted using methanol and 50% aqueous extract and screened for their antibacterial effects of Streptococcus sobrinus using the 96 well-plate microdilution broth method. The inhibitory activities of its related enzyme were also determined. The plant extracts showed variable antibacterial and Glucosyltransferase enzyme inhibitory activity while some extracts could not cause any inhibition. It was shown that 50% ethanolics of Helminthostachyzeylanica stem have a potency as anti dental caries agents.

  11. Comprehensive enzymatic analysis of the cellulolytic system in digestive fluid of the Sea Hare Aplysia kurodai. Efficient glucose release from sea lettuce by synergistic action of 45 kDa endoglucanase and 210 kDa ß-glucosidase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akihiko Tsuji

    Full Text Available Although many endo-ß-1,4-glucanases have been isolated in invertebrates, their cellulolytic systems are not fully understood. In particular, gastropod feeding on seaweed is considered an excellent model system for production of bioethanol and renewable bioenergy from third-generation feedstocks (microalgae and seaweeds. In this study, enzymes involved in the conversion of cellulose and other polysaccharides to glucose in digestive fluids of the sea hare (Aplysia kurodai were screened and characterized to determine how the sea hare obtains glucose from sea lettuce (Ulva pertusa. Four endo-ß-1,4-glucanases (21K, 45K, 65K, and 95K cellulase and 2 ß-glucosidases (110K and 210K were purified to a homogeneous state, and the synergistic action of these enzymes during cellulose digestion was analyzed. All cellulases exhibited cellulase and lichenase activities and showed distinct cleavage specificities against cellooligosaccharides and filter paper. Filter paper was digested to cellobiose, cellotriose, and cellotetraose by 21K cellulase, whereas 45K and 65K enzymes hydrolyzed the filter paper to cellobiose and glucose. 210K ß-glucosidase showed unique substrate specificity against synthetic and natural substrates, and 4-methylumbelliferyl (4MU-ß-glucoside, 4MU-ß-galactoside, cello-oligosaccharides, laminarin, and lichenan were suitable substrates. Furthermore, 210K ß-glucosidase possesses lactase activity. Although ß-glucosidase and cellulase are necessary for efficient hydrolysis of carboxymethylcellulose to glucose, laminarin is hydrolyzed to glucose only by 210K ß-glucosidase. Kinetic analysis of the inhibition of 210K ß-glucosidase by D-glucono-1,5-lactone suggested the presence of 2 active sites similar to those of mammalian lactase-phlorizin hydrolase. Saccharification of sea lettuce was considerably stimulated by the synergistic action of 45K cellulase and 210K ß-glucosidase. Our results indicate that 45K cellulase and 210K

  12. Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectinase enzyme from guava (Psidium guajava) peel: Enzyme recovery, specific activity, temperature, and storage stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amid, Mehrnoush; Murshid, Fara Syazana; Manap, Mohd Yazid; Islam Sarker, Zaidul

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the effects of the ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions on the yield, specific activity, temperature, and storage stability of the pectinase enzyme from guava peel. The ultrasound variables studied were sonication time (10-30 min), ultrasound temperature (30-50 °C), pH (2.0-8.0), and solvent-to-sample ratio (2:1 mL/g to 6:1 mL/g). The main goal was to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions to maximize the recovery of pectinase from guava peel with the most desirable enzyme-specific activity and stability. Under the optimum conditions, a high yield (96.2%), good specific activity (18.2 U/mg), temperature stability (88.3%), and storage stability (90.3%) of the extracted enzyme were achieved. The optimal conditions were 20 min sonication time, 40 °C temperature, at pH 5.0, using a 4:1 mL/g solvent-to-sample ratio. The study demonstrated that optimization of ultrasound-assisted process conditions for the enzyme extraction could improve the enzymatic characteristics and yield of the enzyme.

  13. An easy and efficient permeabilization protocol for in vivo enzyme activity assays in cyanobacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Randi Engelberth; Erstad, Simon Matthé; Ramos Martinez, Erick Miguel

    2016-01-01

    microbial cell factories. Better understanding of the activities of enzymes involved in the central carbon metabolism would lead to increasing product yields. Currently cell-free lysates are the most widely used method for determination of intracellular enzyme activities. However, due to thick cell walls...... used directly in the assays, the permeabilized cells exhibited the enzyme activities that are comparable or even higher than those detected for cell-free lysates. Moreover, the permeabilized cells could be stored at -20 °C without losing the enzyme activities. The permeabilization process...... for permeabilization of the cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and determination of two intracellular enzymes, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/decarboxylase (Rubisco) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), that play pivotal roles in the central carbon metabolism...

  14. A Metagenomic Advance for the Cloning and Characterization of a Cellulase from Red Rice Crop Residues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Meneses

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Many naturally-occurring cellulolytic microorganisms are not readily cultivable, demanding a culture-independent approach in order to study their cellulolytic genes. Metagenomics involves the isolation of DNA from environmental sources and can be used to identify enzymes with biotechnological potential from uncultured microbes. In this study, a gene encoding an endoglucanase was cloned from red rice crop residues using a metagenomic strategy. The amino acid identity between this gene and its closest published counterparts is lower than 70%. The endoglucanase was named EglaRR01 and was biochemically characterized. This recombinant protein showed activity on carboxymethylcellulose, indicating that EglaRR01 is an endoactive lytic enzyme. The enzymatic activity was optimal at a pH of 6.8 and at a temperature of 30 °C. Ethanol production from this recombinant enzyme was also analyzed on EglaRR01 crop residues, and resulted in conversion of cellulose from red rice into simple sugars which were further fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce ethanol after seven days. Ethanol yield in this study was approximately 8 g/L. The gene found herein shows strong potential for use in ethanol production from cellulosic biomass (second generation ethanol.

  15. A Metagenomic Advance for the Cloning and Characterization of a Cellulase from Red Rice Crop Residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meneses, Carlos; Silva, Bruna; Medeiros, Betsy; Serrato, Rodrigo; Johnston-Monje, David

    2016-06-25

    Many naturally-occurring cellulolytic microorganisms are not readily cultivable, demanding a culture-independent approach in order to study their cellulolytic genes. Metagenomics involves the isolation of DNA from environmental sources and can be used to identify enzymes with biotechnological potential from uncultured microbes. In this study, a gene encoding an endoglucanase was cloned from red rice crop residues using a metagenomic strategy. The amino acid identity between this gene and its closest published counterparts is lower than 70%. The endoglucanase was named EglaRR01 and was biochemically characterized. This recombinant protein showed activity on carboxymethylcellulose, indicating that EglaRR01 is an endoactive lytic enzyme. The enzymatic activity was optimal at a pH of 6.8 and at a temperature of 30 °C. Ethanol production from this recombinant enzyme was also analyzed on EglaRR01 crop residues, and resulted in conversion of cellulose from red rice into simple sugars which were further fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce ethanol after seven days. Ethanol yield in this study was approximately 8 g/L. The gene found herein shows strong potential for use in ethanol production from cellulosic biomass (second generation ethanol).

  16. Measurement of peroxisomal enzyme activities in the liver of brown trout (Salmo trutta, using spectrophotometric methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Resende Albina D

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study was aimed primarily at testing in the liver of brown trout (Salmo trutta spectrophotometric methods previously used to measure the activities of catalase and hydrogen peroxide producing oxidases in mammals. To evaluate the influence of temperature on the activities of those peroxisomal enzymes was the second objective. A third goal of this work was the study of enzyme distribution in crude cell fractions of brown trout liver. Results The assays revealed a linear increase in the activity of all peroxisomal enzymes as the temperature rose from 10° to 37°C. However, while the activities of hydrogen peroxide producing oxidases were strongly influenced by temperature, catalase activity was only slightly affected. A crude fraction enriched with peroxisomes was obtained by differential centrifugation of liver homogenates, and the contamination by other organelles was evaluated by the activities of marker enzymes for mitochondria (succinate dehydrogenase, lysosomes (aryl sulphatase and microsomes (NADPH cytochrome c reductase. For peroxisomal enzymes, the activities per mg of protein (specific activity in liver homogenates were strongly correlated with the activities per g of liver and with the total activities per liver. These correlations were not obtained with crude peroxisomal fractions. Conclusions The spectrophotometric protocols originally used to quantify the activity of mammalian peroxisomal enzymes can be successfully applied to the study of those enzymes in brown trout. Because the activity of all studied peroxisomal enzymes rose in a linear mode with temperature, their activities can be correctly measured between 10° and 37°C. Probably due to contamination by other organelles and losses of soluble matrix enzymes during homogenisation, enzyme activities in crude peroxisomal fractions do not correlate with the activities in liver homogenates. Thus, total homogenates will be used in future seasonal and

  17. Seasonality of fibrolytic enzyme activity in herbivore microbial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012-08-21

    Aug 21, 2012 ... liberating end-products such as volatile fatty acids. Cellulase enzyme ... All the other common chemicals such as glacial acetic acid, sodium azide .... specific activity was observed among animal species and between seasons ...

  18. Microbial enzyme activities of peatland soils in south central Alaska lowlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Microbial enzyme activities related to carbon and nutrient acquisition were measured on Alaskan peatland soils as indicators of nutrient limitation and biochemical sustainability. Peat decomposition is mediated by microorganisms and enzymes that in turn are limited by various ph...

  19. Changes in growth, survival and digestive enzyme activities of Asian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study was conducted to determine the effects of different dietary treatments on the growth, survival and digestive enzyme activities of Mystus nemurus larvae. Newly hatched larvae were reared for 14 days in twelve 15 L glass aquaria (for growth and survival) and eight 300 L fiberglass tanks (for enzyme samples) at a ...

  20. Early bichemical markers of effects: Enzyme induction, oncogene activation and markers of oxidative damage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Henrik E.; Loft, Steffen

    1995-01-01

    Early bichemical marker, enzyme induction, oncogene activation, oxidative damage, low-density lipoprotein......Early bichemical marker, enzyme induction, oncogene activation, oxidative damage, low-density lipoprotein...

  1. Improving enzymatic activities and thermostability of a tri-functional enzyme with SOD, catalase and cell-permeable activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luangwattananun, Piriya; Eiamphungporn, Warawan; Songtawee, Napat; Bülow, Leif; Isarankura Na Ayudhya, Chartchalerm; Prachayasittikul, Virapong; Yainoy, Sakda

    2017-04-10

    Synergistic action of major antioxidant enzymes, e.g., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is known to be more effective than the action of any single enzyme. Recently, we have engineered a tri-functional enzyme, 6His-MnSOD-TAT/CAT-MnSOD (M-TAT/CM), with SOD, CAT and cell-permeable activities. The protein actively internalized into the cells and showed superior protection against oxidative stress-induced cell death over native enzymes fused with TAT. To improve its molecular size, enzymatic activity and stability, in this study, MnSOD portions of the engineered protein were replaced by CuZnSOD, which is the smallest and the most heat resistant SOD isoform. The newly engineered protein, CAT-CuZnSOD/6His-CuZnSOD-TAT (CS/S-TAT), had a 42% reduction in molecular size and an increase in SOD and CAT activities by 22% and 99%, respectively. After incubation at 70°C for 10min, the CS/S-TAT retained residual SOD activity up to 54% while SOD activity of the M-TAT/CM was completely abolished. Moreover, the protein exhibited a 5-fold improvement in half-life at 70°C. Thus, this work provides insights into the design and synthesis of a smaller but much more stable multifunctional antioxidant enzyme with ability to enter mammalian cells for further application as protective/therapeutic agent against oxidative stress-related conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Extracellular enzyme activity in a willow sewage treatment system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brzezinska, Maria Swiontek; Lalke-Porczyk, Elżbieta; Kalwasińska, Agnieszka

    2012-12-01

    This paper presents the results of studies on the activity of extra-cellular enzymes in soil-willow vegetation filter soil which is used in the post-treatment of household sewage in an onsite wastewater treatment system located in central Poland. Wastewater is discharged from the detached house by gravity into the onsite wastewater treatment system. It flows through a connecting pipe into a single-chamber septic tank and is directed by the connecting pipe to a control well to be further channelled in the soil-willow filter by means of a subsurface leaching system. Soil samples for the studies were collected from two depths of 5 cm and 1 m from three plots: close to the wastewater inflow, at mid-length of the plot and close to its terminal part. Soil samples were collected from May to October 2009. The activity of the extra-cellular enzymes was assayed by the fluorometric method using 4-methylumbelliferyl and 7-amido-4-methylcoumarin substrate. The ranking of potential activity of the assayed enzymes was the same at 5 cm and 1 m soil depths, i.e. esterase > phosphmomoesterase > leucine-aminopeptidase > β-glucosidase > α-glucosidase. The highest values of enzymatic activity were recorded in the surface layer of the soil at the wastewater inflow and decreased with increasing distance from that point.

  3. Selection of cellulolytic fungi isolated from diverse substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mônica Caramez Triches Damaso

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present work was to select filamentous fungi isolated from diverse substrates to obtain the strains with potential to produce the hydrolytic enzymes. From a total of 215 strains, seven strains from the soils, six from the plants and one from sugarcane bagasse were selected and identified as belonging to the Trichoderma, Penicillium and Aspergillus genera. The best hydrolytic activities obtained by semi-solid fermentation using these strains were approximately: 35; 1; 160; 170 and 120 U/gdm (CMCase, FPase, β-glucosidase, xylanase and polygalacturonase, respectively, demonstrating their potential to synthesize the enzymes compared with the results reported in the literature.

  4. Enzyme Enzyme activities in relation to sugar accumulation in tomato

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, M.J.; Rahman, M.H.; Mamun, M.A.; Islam, K.

    2006-01-01

    Enzyme activities in tomato juice of five different varieties viz. Ratan, Marglove, BARI-1, BARI-5 and BARI-6, in relation to sugar accumulation were investigated at different maturity stages. The highest amount of invertase and beta-galactosidase was found in Marglove and the lowest in BARI- 6 at all maturity stages. Total soluble sugar and sucrose contents were highest in BARI-1 and lowest in BARI-6. The activity of amylase was maximum in Ratan and minimum in Marglove. Protease activity was highest in Ratan and lowest in BARI-6. BARI-1 contained the highest cellulase activity and the lowest in BARI-5. The amount of total soluble sugar and sucrose increased moderately from premature to ripe stage. The activities of amylase and cellulase increased up to the mature stage and then decreased drastically in the ripe stage. The activities of invertase and protease increased sharply from the premature to the ripe stage while the beta-galactosidase activity decreased remarkably. No detectable amount of reducing sugar was present in the premature stage in all cultivars of tomato but increased thereafter upto the ripe stage. The highest reducing sugar was present in BARI-5 in all of the maturity stages. (author)

  5. Effects of Recurring Droughts on Extracellular Enzyme Activity in Mountain Grassland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuchslueger, L.; Bahn, M.; Kienzl, S.; Hofhansl, F.; Schnecker, J.; Richter, A.

    2015-12-01

    Water availability is a key factor for biogeochemical processes and determines microbial activity and functioning, and thereby organic matter decomposition in soils by affecting the osmotic potential, soil pore connectivity, substrate diffusion and nutrient availability. Low water availability during drought periods therefore directly affects microbial activity. Recurring drought periods likely induce shifts in microbial structure that might be reflected in altered responses of microbial turnover of organic matter by extracellular enzymes. To study this we measured a set of potential extracellular enzyme activity rates (cellobiohydrolase CBH; leucine-amino-peptidase LAP; phosphatase PHOS; phenoloxidase POX), in grassland soils that were exposed to extreme experimental droughts during the growing seasons of up to five subsequent years. During the first drought period after eight weeks of rain exclusion all measured potential enzyme activities were significantly decreased. In parallel, soil extractable organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations increased and microbial community structure, determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis, changed. In soils that were exposed to two and three drought periods only PHOS decreased. After four years of drought again CBH, PHOS and POX decreased, while LAP was unaffected; after five years of drought PHOS and POX decreased and CBH and LAP remained stable. Thus, our results suggest that recurring extreme drought events can cause different responses of extracellular enzyme activities and that the responses change over time. We will discuss whether and to what degree these changes were related to shifts in microbial community composition. However, independent of whether a solitary or a recurrent drought was imposed, in cases when enzyme activity rates were altered during drought, they quickly recovered after rewetting. Overall, our data suggest that microbial functioning in mountain grassland is sensitive to drought, but highly

  6. High inorganic triphosphatase activities in bacteria and mammalian cells: identification of the enzymes involved.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory Kohn

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We recently characterized a specific inorganic triphosphatase (PPPase from Nitrosomonas europaea. This enzyme belongs to the CYTH superfamily of proteins. Many bacterial members of this family are annotated as predicted adenylate cyclases, because one of the founding members is CyaB adenylate cyclase from A. hydrophila. The aim of the present study is to determine whether other members of the CYTH protein family also have a PPPase activity, if there are PPPase activities in animal tissues and what enzymes are responsible for these activities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Recombinant enzymes were expressed and purified as GST- or His-tagged fusion proteins and the enzyme activities were determined by measuring the release of inorganic phosphate. We show that the hitherto uncharacterized E. coli CYTH protein ygiF is a specific PPPase, but it contributes only marginally to the total PPPase activity in this organism, where the main enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of inorganic triphosphate (PPP(i is inorganic pyrophosphatase. We further show that CyaB hydrolyzes PPP(i but this activity is low compared to its adenylate cyclase activity. Finally we demonstrate a high PPPase activity in mammalian and quail tissue, particularly in the brain. We show that this activity is mainly due to Prune, an exopolyphosphatase overexpressed in metastatic tumors where it promotes cell motility. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: We show for the first time that PPPase activities are widespread in bacteria and animals. We identified the enzymes responsible for these activities but we were unable to detect significant amounts of PPP(i in E. coli or brain extracts using ion chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The role of these enzymes may be to hydrolyze PPP(i, which could be cytotoxic because of its high affinity for Ca(2+, thereby interfering with Ca(2+ signaling.

  7. Awojobi et al (6)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    enzymes production for selected Trichodermaspecies were conducted. ... Keywords: Cellulolytic enzyme; Trichoderma species; Soil samples; Industrial purposes; Optimum production. ... During the process of decomposition, the decomposers.

  8. Formation of cellulases and degradation of cellulose by several fungi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herr, D; Luck, G; Dellweg, H

    1978-01-01

    Five strains of fungi (Aspergillus niger, Lenzites trabea, Myrothecium verrucaria, Trichoderma koningii and Trichoderma lignorum) were tested for the production of cellulolytic enzymes on pure glucose and on cellulose media. The most active strains belonging to the genera of Trichoderma, Aspergillus and Myrothecium, also secreting high activities of ..beta..-glucosidase, were grown in a bioreactor under defined conditions. Depending on the strain this procedure resulted in a manifold increase in cellulolytic activities. The culture filtrates were concentrated and standardized with respect to ..beta..-glucosidase activity and used for the hydrolysis of cellulose powder. With Trichoderma-cellulase, 46% conversion of crystalline cellulose to glucose was achieved within 48 h. The ratio of cellobiose to glucose found in the hydrolysate, the amount of high molecular carbohydrates as well as the degree of hydrolysis widely depended on the type of cellulase used.

  9. Technique for preparation of anaerobic microbes: Rodshaped cellulolytic bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amlius Thalib

    2001-10-01

    Full Text Available Preparation of anaerobic-rod cellulolytic bacteria with coating technique has been conducted. Steps of the processes involved were cultivation, coating, evaporation, and drying. Coating agent used was Gum Arabic, and drying techniquesconducted were freeze drying and sun drying. pH of culture media was firstly optimized to obtain the maximal population ofbacteria. Both coated and uncoated preparates were subjected to drying. Morphological and Gram type identifications showed that uncoated preparate dried with freeze drying is not contaminated (ie. all bacteria are rod shape with Gram-negative type while the one dried with sun drying is not morphologically pure (ie. containing of both rod and coccus shapes with Gram negative and positive. The coated preparates dried by both freeze and sun drying, were not contaminated (ie. all are rods with Gram-negative. The coating and drying processes decreased viability of preparates significantly. However, the decreasing of viability of coated preparate are lower than uncoated preparate (ie. 89 vs. 97%. Total count of bacteria in sun-drying coated preparate are higher (P<0.05 than the uncoated preparate (ie. 3.38 x 1010 vs. 1.97 x 1010 colony/g DM. Activity of sun-drying coated preparate to digest elephant grass and rice straw was higher (P<0.01 than the sun-drying uncoated preparate with the in vitro DMD values were 42.7 vs. 35.5% for elephant grass substrate and 29.3 vs. 24.6% for rice straw substrate. Therefore, it is concluded that coating technique has a positive effects on the preparation of rumen bacteria.

  10. Study on the Correlation between Gene Expression and Enzyme Activity of Seven Key Enzymes and Ginsenoside Content in Ginseng in Over Time in Ji'an, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Juxin; Zhang, Daihui; Zhuang, Jianjian; Huang, Yi; Mu, Ying; Lv, Shaowu

    2017-12-11

    Panax ginseng is a traditional medicine. Fresh ginseng is one of the most important industries related to ginseng development, and fresh ginseng of varying ages has different medicinal properties. Previous research has not systematically reported the correlation between changes in key enzyme activity with changes in ginsenoside content in fresh ginseng over time. In this study, for the first time, we use ginseng samples of varying ages in Ji'an and systematically reported the changes in the activity of seven key enzymes (HMGR, FPS, SS, SE, DS, CYP450, and GT). We investigated the content of ginsenoside and gene expression of these key enzymes. Ginsenoside content was measured using HPLC. HPLC, GC-MS, and LC-MS were combined to measure the enzyme activity of the key enzymes. Quantitative PCR was used in the investigation of gene expression. By analyzing the correlation between the enzyme activity and the transcription level of the key enzymes with ginsenoside content, we found that DS and GT enzyme activities are significantly correlated with the ginsenoside content in different ages of ginseng. Our findings might provide a new strategy to discriminate between ginseng of different years. Meanwhile, this research provides important information for the in-depth study of ginsenoside biosynthesis.

  11. The Feasibility of Enzyme Targeted Activation for Amino Acid/Dipeptide Monoester Prodrugs of Floxuridine; Cathepsin D as a Potential Targeted Enzyme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gordon L. Amidon

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The improvement of therapeutic efficacy for cancer agents has been a big challenge which includes the increase of tumor selectivity and the reduction of adverse effects at non-tumor sites. In order to achieve those goals, prodrug approaches have been extensively investigated. In this report, the potential activation enzymes for 5¢-amino acid/dipeptide monoester floxuridine prodrugs in pancreatic cancer cells were selected and the feasibility of enzyme specific activation of prodrugs was evaluated. All prodrugs exhibited the range of 3.0–105.7 min of half life in Capan-2 cell homogenate with the presence and the absence of selective enzyme inhibitors. 5¢-O-L-Phenylalanyl-L-tyrosyl-floxuridine exhibited longer half life only with the presence of pepstatin A. Human cathepsin B and D selectively hydrolized 5¢-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-tyrosylfloxuridine and 5¢-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-glycylfloxuridine compared to the other tested prodrugs. The wide range of growth inhibitory effect by floxuridine prodrugs in Capan-2 cells was observed due to the different affinities of prodrug promoieties to enyzmes. In conclusion, it is feasible to design prodrugs which are activated by specific enzymes. Cathepsin D might be a good candidate as a target enzyme for prodrug activation and 5¢-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-tyrosylfloxuridine may be the best candidate among the tested floxuridine prodrugs.

  12. Characterization of Carbohydrate Active Enzymes Involved in Arabinogalactan Protein Metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knoch, Eva

    and tissues, their functions and synthesis are still poorly understood. The aim of the research presented in the thesis was to characterize carbohydrate active enzymes involved in AGP biosynthesis and modification to gain insights into the biosynthesis of the glycoproteins in plants. Candidate...... glycosyltransferases and glycoside hydrolases were selected based on co-expression profiles from a transcriptomics analysis. Reverse genetics approach on a novel glucuronosyltransferase involved in AGP biosynthesis has revealed that the enzyme activity is required for normal cell elongation in etiolated seedlings....... The enzymatic activity of a hydrolase from GH family 17 was investigated, without successful determination of the activity. Members of hydrolase family 43 appeared to be localized in the Golgi-apparatus, which is also the compartment for glycan biosynthesis. The localization of these glycoside hydrolases...

  13. The effect of lignin removal by alkaline peroxide pretreatment on the susceptibility of corn stover to purified cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selig, Michael J; Vinzant, Todd B; Himmel, Michael E; Decker, Stephen R

    2009-05-01

    Pretreatment of corn stover with alkaline peroxide (AP) at pH 11.5 resulted in reduction of lignin content in the residual solids as a function of increasing batch temperature. Scanning electron microscopy of these materials revealed notably more textured surfaces on the plant cell walls as a result of the delignifying pretreatment. As expected, digestion of the delignified samples with commercial cellulase preparations showed an inverse relationship between the content of lignin present in the residual solids after pretreatment and the extent of both glucan and xylan conversion achievable. Digestions with purified enzymes revealed that decreased lignin content in the pretreated solids did not significantly impact the extent of glucan conversion achievable by cellulases alone. Not until purified xylanolytic activities were included with the cellulases were significant improvements in glucan conversion realized. In addition, an inverse relationship was observed between lignin content after pretreatment and the extent of xylan conversion achievable in a 24-h period with the xylanolytic enzymes in the absence of the cellulases. This observation, coupled with the direct relationship between enzymatic xylan and glucan conversion observed in a number of cases, suggests that the presence of lignins may not directly occlude cellulose present in lignocelluloses but rather impact cellulase action indirectly by its association with xylan.

  14. Deletion of creB in Aspergillus oryzae increases secreted hydrolytic enzyme activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, A J; Morris, T A; Jin, B; Saint, C P; Kelly, J M

    2013-09-01

    Aspergillus oryzae has been used in the food and beverage industry for centuries, and industrial strains have been produced by multiple rounds of selection. Targeted gene deletion technology is particularly useful for strain improvement in such strains, particularly when they do not have a well-characterized meiotic cycle. Phenotypes of an Aspergillus nidulans strain null for the CreB deubiquitinating enzyme include effects on growth and repression, including increased activity levels of various enzymes. We show that Aspergillus oryzae contains a functional homologue of the CreB deubiquitinating enzyme and that a null strain shows increased activity levels of industrially important secreted enzymes, including cellulases, xylanases, amylases, and proteases, as well as alleviated inhibition of spore germination on glucose medium. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that the increased levels of enzyme activity in both Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus oryzae are mirrored at the transcript level, indicating transcriptional regulation. We report that Aspergillus oryzae DAR3699, originally isolated from soy fermentation, has a similar phenotype to that of a creB deletion mutant of the RIB40 strain, and it contains a mutation in the creB gene. Collectively, the results for Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus nidulans, Trichoderma reesei, and Penicillium decumbens show that deletion of creB may be broadly useful in diverse fungi for increasing production of a variety of enzymes.

  15. Effect of different nutrient supply and other growth factors on the activity of the oxidizing enzymes in plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amberger, A

    1960-01-01

    Among the plants studied were french beans and peas; the oxidizing enzymes examined were ascorbic acid oxidase, cytochrome oxidase, phenol oxidase, peroxidase and catalase. Increasing the K dosage reduced enzyme activity and raised dry matter contents until at a very high dosage this action was reversed. Both N and P increased enzyme activity and yields. With B high enzyme activity and low dry matter content were both associated with deficiency and toxicity levels. Increasing the Fe dosage led to a rise in both dry matter content and enzyme activity, whereas F depressed yields and raised enzyme activity. Lack of water increased respiration. Light inhibited all enzyme activity.

  16. Cadmium Phytoavailability and Enzyme Activity under Humic Acid Treatment in Fluvo-aquic Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Borui; Huang, Qing; Su, Yuefeng

    2018-01-01

    A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the cadmium (Cd) availability to pakchois (Brassica chinensis L.) as well as the enzyme activities in fluvo-aquic soil under humic acid treatment. The results showed that the phytoavailability of Cd in soil decreased gradually as humic acid concentration rose (0 to 12 g·kg-1), while the activities of urease (UE), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and catalase (CAT) kept increasing (P enzymes due to the Cd pollution. In conclusion, humic acid is effective for the reduction of both Cd phytoavailability and the damage to enzyme activities due to Cd pollution in fluvo-aquic soil

  17. Is there any role of prolidase enzyme activity in the etiology of preeclampsia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pehlivan, Mustafa; Ozün Ozbay, Pelin; Temur, Muzaffer; Yılmaz, Ozgur; Verit, Fatma Ferda; Aksoy, Nurten; Korkmazer, Engin; Üstünyurt, Emin

    2017-05-01

    To evaluate a relationship between preeclampsia and prolidase enzyme activity. A prospective cohort study of 41 pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia and 31 healthy pregnant women as control group was selected at Harran University Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The prolidase enzyme activity was analyzed in maternal and umbilical cord plasma, amniotic fluid and placental and umbilical cord tissues by Chinard method in addition to maternal serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT). A significant relationship was found between plasma prolidase activity (635 ± 83 U/L) (p  = 0.007), umbilical cord plasma prolidase activity (610 ± 90 U/L) (p = 0.013), amniotic fluid prolidase activity (558 ± 100 U/L) (p  = 0.001), umbilical cord tissue prolidase activity (4248 ± 1675 U/gr protein) (p  = 0.013) and placental tissue prolidase activity (2116 ± 601 U/gr protein) (p  = 0.001) in preeclamptic group when compared to healthy pregnant women. There is a strong correlation between prolidase enzyme activity and preeclampsia. Prolidase enzyme activity may play a role in preeclampsia.

  18. Bacillus coagulans MA-13: a promising thermophilic and cellulolytic strain for the production of lactic acid from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aulitto, Martina; Fusco, Salvatore; Bartolucci, Simonetta; Franzén, Carl Johan; Contursi, Patrizia

    2017-01-01

    The transition from a petroleum-based economy towards more sustainable bioprocesses for the production of fuels and chemicals (circular economy) is necessary to alleviate the impact of anthropic activities on the global ecosystem. Lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars are suitable alternative feedstocks that can be fermented or biochemically converted to value-added products. An example is lactic acid, which is an essential chemical for the production of polylactic acid, a biodegradable bioplastic. However, lactic acid is still mainly produced by Lactobacillus species via fermentation of starch-containing materials, the use of which competes with the supply of food and feed. A thermophilic and cellulolytic lactic acid producer was isolated from bean processing waste and was identified as a new strain of Bacillus coagulans , named MA-13. This bacterium fermented lignocellulose-derived sugars to lactic acid at 55 °C and pH 5.5. Moreover, it was found to be a robust strain able to tolerate high concentrations of hydrolysate obtained from wheat straw pre-treated by acid-catalysed (pre-)hydrolysis and steam explosion, especially when cultivated in controlled bioreactor conditions. Indeed, unlike what was observed in microscale cultivations (complete growth inhibition at hydrolysate concentrations above 50%), B. coagulans MA-13 was able to grow and ferment in 95% hydrolysate-containing bioreactor fermentations. This bacterium was also found to secrete soluble thermophilic cellulases, which could be produced at low temperature (37 °C), still retaining an optimal operational activity at 50 °C. The above-mentioned features make B. coagulans MA-13 an appealing starting point for future development of a consolidated bioprocess for production of lactic acid from lignocellulosic biomass, after further strain development by genetic and evolutionary engineering. Its optimal temperature and pH of growth match with the operational conditions of fungal enzymes hitherto

  19. Cellulase variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blazej, Robert; Toriello, Nicholas; Emrich, Charles; Cohen, Richard N.; Koppel, Nitzan

    2015-07-14

    This invention provides novel variant cellulolytic enzymes having improved activity and/or stability. In certain embodiments the variant cellulotyic enzymes comprise a glycoside hydrolase with or comprising a substitution at one or more positions corresponding to one or more of residues F64, A226, and/or E246 in Thermobifida fusca Cel9A enzyme. In certain embodiments the glycoside hydrolase is a variant of a family 9 glycoside hydrolase. In certain embodiments the glycoside hydrolase is a variant of a theme B family 9 glycoside hydrolase.

  20. Protein Hydrolysis from Catfish Prepared by Papain Enzyme and Antioxidant Activity of Hydrolyzate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ace Baehaki

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to make a protein hydrolysates from catfish (Pangasius pangasius enzymatically using papain enzyme and analyzed the antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates produced. The research used the method completely randomized design with two replications the treatment were the difference concentration of the papain enzyme (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6%. The parameters of research were antioxidative activity using DPPH (2,2-difenil-1–pikrilhidrazil, protein content, and molecular weight using SDS-PAGE (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. The results showed that catfish protein hydrolysates prepared by papain enzyme has antioxidative activity. The highest degree of hydrolysis was 71.98% at enzyme concentration of 6%. Based on the DPPH scavenging method catfish protein hydrolysates has the antioxidative activity with the value 37.85-67.62%. The protein content of catfish protein hydrolysates were 20.86-54.47 mg/ml. The molecular weight of catfish protein hydrolyzates were 11.90-65.20 kDa.

  1. Effect of citric acid and microbial phytase on serum enzyme activities ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effect of citric acid and microbial phytase on serum enzyme activities and plasma minerals retention in broiler chicks. ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... An experiment was conducted to study the effect of microbial phytase supplementation and citric acid in broiler chicks fed corn-soybean meal base diets on enzyme ...

  2. Ratio Imaging of Enzyme Activity Using Dual Wavelength Optical Reporters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moritz F. Kircher

    2002-04-01

    Full Text Available The design of near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF probes that are activated by specific proteases has, for the first time, allowed enzyme activity to be imaged in vivo. In the current study, we report on a method of imaging enzyme activity using two fluorescent probes that, together, provide improved quantitation of enzymatic activity. The method employs two chemically similar probes that differ in their degradability by cathepsin B. One probe consists of the NIRF dye Cy5.5 attached to a particulate carrier, a crosslinked iron oxide nanoparticle (CLIO, through cathepsin B cleavable l-arginyl peptides. A second probe consists of Cy3.5 attached to a CLIO through proteolytically resistant d-arginyl peptides. Using mixtures of the two probes, we have shown that the ratio of Cy5.5 to Cy3.5 fluorescence can be used to determine levels of cathepsin B in the environment of nanoparticles with macrophages in suspension. After intravenous injection, tissue fluorescence from the nondegradable Cy3.5–d-arginyl probe reflected nanoparticle accumulation, while fluorescence of the Cy5.5–l-arginyl probe was dependent on both accumulation and activation by cathepsin B. Dual wavelength ratio imaging can be used for the quantitative imaging of a variety of enzymes in clinically important settings, while the magnetic properties of the probes allow their detection by MR imaging.

  3. Tissue and plasma enzyme activities in juvenile green iguanas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, R A; Wetzel, R

    1999-02-01

    To determine activities of intracellular enzymes in 8 major organs in juvenile green iguanas and to compare tissue and plasma activities. 6 green iguanas iguanas, but high values may not always indicate overt muscle disease. The AMS activity may be specific for the pancreas, but the wide range of plasma activity would likely limit its diagnostic usefulness. Activities of AST and LDH may reflect tissue damage or inflammation, but probably do not reflect damage to specific tissues or organs.

  4. Enzyme activity assays within microstructured optical fibers enabled by automated alignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren-Smith, Stephen C; Nie, Guiying; Schartner, Erik P; Salamonsen, Lois A; Monro, Tanya M

    2012-12-01

    A fluorescence-based enzyme activity assay has been demonstrated within a small-core microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for the first time. To achieve this, a reflection-based automated alignment system has been developed, which uses feedback and piezoelectric actuators to maintain optical alignment. The auto-alignment system provides optical stability for the time required to perform an activity assay. The chosen assay is based on the enzyme proprotein convertase 5/6 (PC6) and has important applications in women's health.

  5. The effect of hyperthermia and radiation on lysosomal enzyme activity of mouse mammary tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barratt, G.M.; Wills, E.D.

    1979-01-01

    The effects of hyperthermia and radiation have been studied on the acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase activities in lysosomes of C3H mice mammary tumours and of the spleen. Quantitative histochemical methods have been used. Hyperthermic treatment of both spontaneous and transplanted tumours caused an increase in the activity of both acid phosphatase and β-glucuronase when measured immediately after treatment, but the activities returned to normal after 24 hours. In contrast a radiation dose of 3500 rad did not cause an increase in activity of either enzyme immediately, but a large activation was observed after 24 hr. Combination of hyperthermic and radiation treatment caused increases in enzyme activities which were dependent on the time after treatment. Hyperthermic treatment of the lower body of mice bearing tumours also caused activation of lysosomal enzymes in the spleen. This may be hormone mediated. It is considered that the increased lysosomal enzyme activity observed after hyperthermia may be a consequence of increased permeability of the lysosomal membrane caused by hyperthermia. (author)

  6. [Estimation of adaptive capacities in Magnitogorsk children from the activity of some detoxification enzymes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    koganova, Z I; Ingel', F I; Antipanova, N A; Legostoeva, T B; Poliakova, O V

    2010-01-01

    The paper provides the first fragment of a multiparameter study analyzing the influence of environmental pollution, the social and psychological features of a family, and some endogenous factors on genome stability and sensitivity in a developed ferrous metallurgy town. It also gives data on the urine and serum activity of the lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and the serum activity of catalase in an organized contingent of apparently healthy children (n = 178; 6 kindergartens) aged 5-7 years, who live permanently in Magnitogorsk at different distances from the metallurgical works. More than 70% of children selected for examination were found to have average normal levels of activity of the enzymes studied. According to the average levels of enzyme activity, there were only 2 kindergartens (both from the left-bank region). In the children from the left-bank area, enzyme activities varied more greatly, which suggests the higher prevalence of tense adaptation. Correlation analysis revealed association between the children's serum activity of enzymes and some components of snow pollution. It is anticipated that the found changes in serum activities of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and catalase may be determined by individual differences in a child's response to ambient air pollutants.

  7. A fluorescence-based hydrolytic enzyme activity assay for quantifying toxic effects of Roundup® to Daphnia magna

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ørsted, Michael; Roslev, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Daphnia magna is a widely used model organism for aquatic toxicity testing. In the present study, we investigated the hydrolytic enzyme activity of D. magna after exposure to toxicant stress. In vivo enzyme activity was quantified using 15 fluorogenic enzyme probes based on 4-methylumbelliferyl...... or 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin. Probing D. magna enzyme activity was evaluated using short-term exposure (24-48 h) to the reference chemical K2Cr2O7, or the herbicide formulation Roundup®. Toxicant induced changes in hydrolytic enzyme activity were compared to changes in mobility (ISO 6341). The results...... showed that hydrolytic enzyme activity was quantifiable as a combination of whole body fluorescence of D. magna, and fluorescence of the surrounding water. Exposure of D. magna to lethal and sublethal concentrations of Roundup® resulted in loss of whole body enzyme activity, and release of cell...

  8. Spatial characterization of proteolytic enzyme activity in the foregut region of the adult necrophagous fly, Protophormia terraenovae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivers, David B; Acca, Gillian; Fink, Marc; Brogan, Rebecca; Schoeffield, Andrew

    2014-08-01

    The spatial distribution of proteolytic enzymes in the adult foregut of Protophormia terraenovae was studied in the context of protein digestion and regurgitation. Based on substrate specificity, pH optima, and use of specific protease inhibitors, all adults tested displayed enzyme activity in the foregut consistent with pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Chymotrypsin-like and trypsin-like enzyme activity were detected in all gut fluids and tissues tested, with chymotrypsin displaying the highest activity in saliva and salivary gland tissue, whereas maximal trypsin activity was evident in the crop. Pepsin-like activity was only evident in crop fluids and tissues. The activity of all three enzymes was low or undetectable (pepsin) in the fluids and tissue homogenates derived from the esophagus and cardia of any of the adults assayed. Fed adult females displayed higher enzyme activities than fed males, and the activity of all three enzymes were much more prevalent in fed adults than starved. The pH optimum of the trypsin-like enzyme was between pH 7.0 and 8.0; chymotrypsin was near pH 8.0; and maximal pepsin-like activity occurred between pH 1.0 and 2.0. Regurgitate from fed adult females displayed enzyme activity consistent with the proteolytic enzymes detected in crop gut fluids. Enzymes in regurgitate were not derived from food sources based on assays of bovine liver samples. These latter observations suggest that adult flies release fluids from foregut when encountering dry foods, potentially as a means to initiate extra-oral digestion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Lead action on activity of some enzymes of plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korolyov, A.N.; Koshkaryova, A.I.

    2008-01-01

    Lead action on activity of some enzymes of young plants of barley double-row (Hordeum distichon L.) families of cereals (Grominea). It is established that activity urease, catalase, ascorbatoxidase is in dependence as from a lead dose in a nutritious solution, and term ontogenesis. At later stages ontogenesis the increase in concentration of lead in an inhabitancy leads to sharp decrease in activity ascorbatoxidase. In the same conditions activity urease and catalase raises.

  10. Development of over-production strain of saccharification enzyme and biomass pretreatment by proton beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S. W.; Lee, J. Y.; Song, Y. S.; Lee, S. J.; Shin, H. Y.; Kim, S. B.

    2010-04-01

    When lignocellulosic biomass converts to ethanol, enzyme takes lots of part of whole cost. Therefore, cellulase production is one of the important processes for the successful enzymatic conversion of cellulosic biomass to ethanol. Among cellulolytic enzymes, cellulase is multi-complex enzyme containing endo-glucanase, exo-glucanase and β-glucosidase. Cellulolyticfungi, Trichodema reesei is well known to produce the highest yields of cellulase. Especially, suitable cellulase composition was important for the effective saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass and strain having high level production of cellulase should be developed for hydrolysis. For efficient ethanol production, hemicellullase of Aspergillus also develop to use xylose generated from saccharification of biomass. In this study, pretreatment process of rice straw using proton beam irradiation (PBI) was carried out for enhancement of enzyme digestibility at different proton beam doses. Also, PBI pretreatment on ammonia soaking treated (SAA, Soaking aqueous ammonia) rice straw was conducted to solve the problem that is micro-structural inhibition of rice straw. Optimal dosages of proton beam on rice straw and SAA treated rice straw for efficient recovery of sugar were 15 KGy and 3 KGy, respectively. Enzymatic saccharification of PBI treated rice straw and SAA rice straw was conducted for the guidance of NREL standard procedure. Analysis using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) for crystallinity index was carried out and CrI found to be 33.38% of control and 35.72% of 15 KGy. Also, CrI was determined to be 67.11% of control and approximately 65.58% of 3 kGy dose in PBI pretreatment on SAA treated rice straw. The result of sugar recovery of both was approximately 70 % and 91 % of theoretical glucose contents, respectively. The initial reaction rate was increased from 7.610 -4 g·l -1 ·s -1 of 15 KGy (PBI pretreated rice straw) to 9.710 -4 g·l -1 ·s -1 (3 KGy PBI pretreated SAA rice straw). The selection of

  11. Activity of an enzyme immobilized on superparamagnetic particles in a rotational magnetic field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mizuki, Toru; Watanabe, Noriyuki; Nagaoka, Yutaka [Bio-Nano Electronics Research Centre, Toyo University, Saitama 350-8585 (Japan); Fukushima, Tadamasa [Shimadzu GLC Ltd., Phenomenex Support Centre, Tokyo 110-0016 (Japan); Morimoto, Hisao; Usami, Ron [Bio-Nano Electronics Research Centre, Toyo University, Saitama 350-8585 (Japan); Maekawa, Toru, E-mail: maekawa@toyonet.toyo.ac.jp [Bio-Nano Electronics Research Centre, Toyo University, Saitama 350-8585 (Japan)

    2010-03-19

    We immobilize {alpha}-amylase extracted from Bacillus Iicheniformis on the surfaces of superparamagnetic particles and investigate the effect of a rotational magnetic field on the enzyme's activity. We find that the activity of the enzyme molecules immobilized on superparamagnetic particles increases in the rotational magnetic field and reaches maximum at a certain frequency. We clarify the effect of the cluster structures formed by the superparamagnetic particles on the activity. Enzyme reactions are enhanced even in a tiny volume of solution using the present method, which is very important for the development of efficient micro reactors and micro total analysis systems ({mu}-TAS).

  12. In vivo enzyme activity in inborn errors of metabolism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thompson, G.N.; Walter, J.H.; Leonard, J.V.; Halliday, D. (Clinical Research Centre, Harrow (England))

    1990-08-01

    Low-dose continuous infusions of (2H5)phenylalanine, (1-13C)propionate, and (1-13C)leucine were used to quantitate phenylalanine hydroxylation in phenylketonuria (PKU, four subjects), propionate oxidation in methylmalonic acidaemia (MMA, four subjects), and propionic acidaemia (PA, four subjects) and leucine oxidation in maple syrup urine disease (MSUD, four subjects). In vivo enzyme activity in PKU, MMA, and PA subjects was similar to or in excess of that in adult controls (range of phenylalanine hydroxylation in PKU, 3.7 to 6.5 mumol/kg/h, control 3.2 to 7.9, n = 7; propionate oxidation in MMA, 15.2 to 64.8 mumol/kg/h, and in PA, 11.1 to 36.0, control 5.1 to 19.0, n = 5). By contrast, in vivo leucine oxidation was undetectable in three of the four MSUD subjects (less than 0.5 mumol/kg/h) and negligible in the remaining subject (2 mumol/kg/h, control 10.4 to 15.7, n = 6). These results suggest that significant substrate removal can be achieved in some inborn metabolic errors either through stimulation of residual enzyme activity in defective enzyme systems or by activation of alternate metabolic pathways. Both possibilities almost certainly depend on gross elevation of substrate concentrations. By contrast, only minimal in vivo oxidation of leucine appears possible in MSUD.

  13. In vivo enzyme activity in inborn errors of metabolism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, G.N.; Walter, J.H.; Leonard, J.V.; Halliday, D.

    1990-01-01

    Low-dose continuous infusions of [2H5]phenylalanine, [1-13C]propionate, and [1-13C]leucine were used to quantitate phenylalanine hydroxylation in phenylketonuria (PKU, four subjects), propionate oxidation in methylmalonic acidaemia (MMA, four subjects), and propionic acidaemia (PA, four subjects) and leucine oxidation in maple syrup urine disease (MSUD, four subjects). In vivo enzyme activity in PKU, MMA, and PA subjects was similar to or in excess of that in adult controls (range of phenylalanine hydroxylation in PKU, 3.7 to 6.5 mumol/kg/h, control 3.2 to 7.9, n = 7; propionate oxidation in MMA, 15.2 to 64.8 mumol/kg/h, and in PA, 11.1 to 36.0, control 5.1 to 19.0, n = 5). By contrast, in vivo leucine oxidation was undetectable in three of the four MSUD subjects (less than 0.5 mumol/kg/h) and negligible in the remaining subject (2 mumol/kg/h, control 10.4 to 15.7, n = 6). These results suggest that significant substrate removal can be achieved in some inborn metabolic errors either through stimulation of residual enzyme activity in defective enzyme systems or by activation of alternate metabolic pathways. Both possibilities almost certainly depend on gross elevation of substrate concentrations. By contrast, only minimal in vivo oxidation of leucine appears possible in MSUD

  14. Phosphorus fractions, microbial biomass and enzyme activities in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Potohar, northern Punjab, Pakistan in September, 2008 and analysed for P fractions and microbial parameters including microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, microbial biomass P, and activities of dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes. The average size of different P fractions (% of total P) in the soils ...

  15. First glycoside hydrolase family 2 enzymes from Thermus antranikianii and Thermus brockianus with β-glucosidase activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carola eSchröder

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Two genes tagh2 and tbgh2 coding for enzymes with hydrolytic activity towards esculin were identified from the extreme thermophilic, aerobic bacteria Thermus antranikianii (Ta and T. brockianus (Tb. Shortened conserved domains predicted a membership of the enzymes of glycoside hydrolase (GH family 2. At present, β-galactosidase activity is found frequently in GH family 2 but β-glucosidase activity has not been reported in this family before. The enzymes TaGH2 and TbGH2 preferred hydrolysis of nitrophenol-linked β-D-glucopyranosides with specific activities of 3,966 U/mg and 660 U/mg, respectively. Residual activities of 40 % (TaGH2 and 51 % (TbGH2 towards 4-NP-β-D-galactopyranoside were observed. Furthermore, TaGH2 hydrolyzed cellobiose. TbGH2, however, showed no activity on cellobiose or lactose. The enzymes exhibited highest activity at 95 °C (TaGH2 and 90 °C (TbGH2 at pH 6.5. Both enzymes were extremely thermostable and thermal activation up to 250 % was observed at temperatures between 50 and 60 °C. Accordingly, the first thermoactive glycoside hydrolase family 2 enzymes with β glucosidase activity have been identified and characterized. The hydrolysis of cellobiose is a unique property of TaGH2 when compared to the enzymes of GH family 2.

  16. activity of enzyme trypsin immobilized onto macroporous poly(epoxy

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    dell

    consequential effects of covalent immobilization. EXPERIMENTAL. Materials .... immersed into water bath. ... storage stability of the enzyme was studied ... pore size range of about 10 to 150 µm. ... figures, the differences in activities (slopes.

  17. Changes in photosynthesis and activities of enzymes involved in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    tolerance, respectively were used to investigate the oxygen consumption rate of photosystem I, the oxygen evolution rate of photosystem II, cab transcript levels, and activities of enzymes involved in photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle.

  18. Enzyme-activity mutations detected in mice after paternal fractionated irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charles, D.J.; Pretsch, W.

    1986-01-01

    (101/E1 X C3H/E1)F 1 -hybrid male mice were exposed in a 24-h fractionation interval to either 3.0 + 3.0-Gy or 5.1 + 5.1-Gy X-irradiation, and mated to untreated Test-stock females. The offspring were examined for mutations at 7 recessive specific loci and for activity alterations of erythrocyte enzymes controlled presumably by 12 loci. No enzyme-activity mutant was found in 3610 F 1 -offspring of the control group. In the experimental groups, no mutant was detected in 533 (3.0 + 3.0 Gy) and 173 (5.1 + 5.1 Gy) offspring from postspermatogonial germ cells treated. After treatment of spermatogonia, 1 mutant in 3388 F 1 -offspring of the 3.0 + 3.0-Gy group, and 5 mutants in 3187 F 1 offspring of the 5.1 + 5.1-Gy group were found. The mutants were all genetically confirmed. The frequency (expressed as mutants/locus/gamete) of enzyme-activity mutations is 2 (5.1 + 5.1-Gy group) to 10 (3.0 + 3.0-Gy group) times lower than the frequency of recessive specific-locus mutations. (Auth.)

  19. Embryonic turkey liver: activities of biotransformation enzymes and activation of DNA-reactive carcinogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrone, Carmen E.; Duan, Jian Dong; Jeffrey, Alan M.; Williams, Gary M.; Ahr, Hans-Juergen; Schmidt, Ulrich; Enzmann, Harald H.

    2004-01-01

    Avian embryos are a potential alternative model for chemical toxicity and carcinogenicity research. Because the toxic and carcinogenic effects of some chemicals depend on bioactivation, activities of biotransformation enzymes and formation of DNA adducts in embryonic turkey liver were examined. Biochemical analyses of 22-day in ovoturkey liver post-mitochondrial fractions revealed activities of the biotransformation enzymes 7-ethoxycoumarin de-ethylase (ECOD), 7-ethoxyresorufin de-ethylase (EROD), aldrin epoxidase (ALD), epoxide hydrolase (EH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and UDP-glucuronyltransferase (GLUT). Following the administration of phenobarbital (24 mg/egg) on day 21, enzyme activities of ECOD, EROD, ALD, EH and GLUT, but not of GST, were increased by two-fold or higher levels by day 22. In contrast, acute administration of 3-methylcholanthrene (5 mg/egg) induced only ECOD and EROD activities. Bioactivation of structurally diverse pro-carcinogens was also examined using 32 P-postlabeling for DNA adducts. In ovoexposure of turkey embryos on day 20 of gestation to 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) resulted in the formation of DNA adducts in livers collected by day 21. Some of the DNA adducts had 32 P-postlabeling chromatographic migration patterns similar to DNA adducts found in livers from Fischer F344 rats exposed to the same pro-carcinogens. We conclude that 21-day embryonic turkey liver is capable of chemical biotransformation and activation of genotoxic carcinogens to form DNA adducts. Thus, turkey embryos could be utilized to investigate potential chemical toxicity and carcinogenicity. (orig.)

  20. Embryonic turkey liver: activities of biotransformation enzymes and activation of DNA-reactive carcinogens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perrone, Carmen E.; Duan, Jian Dong; Jeffrey, Alan M.; Williams, Gary M. [New York Medical College, Department of Pathology, Valhalla (United States); Ahr, Hans-Juergen; Schmidt, Ulrich [Bayer AG, Institute of Toxicology, Wuppertal (Germany); Enzmann, Harald H. [Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Bonn (Germany)

    2004-10-01

    Avian embryos are a potential alternative model for chemical toxicity and carcinogenicity research. Because the toxic and carcinogenic effects of some chemicals depend on bioactivation, activities of biotransformation enzymes and formation of DNA adducts in embryonic turkey liver were examined. Biochemical analyses of 22-day in ovoturkey liver post-mitochondrial fractions revealed activities of the biotransformation enzymes 7-ethoxycoumarin de-ethylase (ECOD), 7-ethoxyresorufin de-ethylase (EROD), aldrin epoxidase (ALD), epoxide hydrolase (EH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and UDP-glucuronyltransferase (GLUT). Following the administration of phenobarbital (24 mg/egg) on day 21, enzyme activities of ECOD, EROD, ALD, EH and GLUT, but not of GST, were increased by two-fold or higher levels by day 22. In contrast, acute administration of 3-methylcholanthrene (5 mg/egg) induced only ECOD and EROD activities. Bioactivation of structurally diverse pro-carcinogens was also examined using {sup 32}P-postlabeling for DNA adducts. In ovoexposure of turkey embryos on day 20 of gestation to 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) resulted in the formation of DNA adducts in livers collected by day 21. Some of the DNA adducts had {sup 32}P-postlabeling chromatographic migration patterns similar to DNA adducts found in livers from Fischer F344 rats exposed to the same pro-carcinogens. We conclude that 21-day embryonic turkey liver is capable of chemical biotransformation and activation of genotoxic carcinogens to form DNA adducts. Thus, turkey embryos could be utilized to investigate potential chemical toxicity and carcinogenicity. (orig.)

  1. Probiotic activity of lignocellulosic enzyme as bioactivator for rice husk degradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamid, Mirni; Al-Arif, Anam; Warsito, Sunaryo Hadi

    2017-02-01

    The utilization of lignocellulosic enzyme will increase nutritional value of rice husk. Cellulase consists of C1 (β-1, 4-glucan cellobiohydrolase or exo-β-1,4glucanase), Cc (endo-β-1,4-glucanase) and component and cellobiose (β-glucocidase). Hemicellulase enzyme consists of endo-β-1,4-xilanase, β-xilosidase, α-L arabinofuranosidase, α-D-glukuronidaseand asetil xilan esterase. This research aimed to study the activity of lignocellulosic enzyme, produced by cows in their rumen, which can be used as a bioactivator in rice husk degradation. This research resulted G6 and G7 bacteria, producing xylanase and cellulase with the activity of 0.004 U mL-1 and 0.021 U mL-1; 0.003 ( U mL-1) and 0.026 (U mL-1) respectively.

  2. Microbial dynamics and enzyme activities in tropical Andosols depending on land use and nutrient inputs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mganga, Kevin; Razavi, Bahar; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2015-04-01

    Microbial decomposition of soil organic matter is mediated by enzymes and is a key source of terrestrial CO2 emissions. Microbial and enzyme activities are necessary to understand soil biochemical functioning and identify changes in soil quality. However, little is known about land use and nutrients availability effects on enzyme activities and microbial processes, especially in tropical soils of Africa. This study was conducted to examine how microbial and enzyme activities differ between different land uses and nutrient availability. As Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro are limited by nutrient concentrations, we hypothesize that N and P additions will stimulate enzyme activity. N and P were added to soil samples (0-20 cm) representing common land use types in East Africa: (1) savannah, (2) maize fields, (3) lower montane forest, (4) coffee plantation, (5) grasslands and (6) traditional Chagga homegardens. Total CO2 efflux from soil, microbial biomass and activities of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, chitinase and phosphatase involved in C, N and P cycling, respectively was monitored for 60 days. Total CO2 production, microbial biomass and enzyme activities varied in the order forest soils > grassland soils > arable soils. Increased β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase activities after N addition of grassland soils suggest that microorganisms increased N uptake and utilization to produce C-acquiring enzymes. Low N concentration in all soils inhibited chitinase activity. Depending on land use, N and P addition had an inhibitory or neutral effect on phosphatase activity. We attribute this to the high P retention of Andosols and low impact of N and P on the labile P fractions. Enhanced CO2 production after P addition suggests that increased P availability could stimulate soil organic matter biodegradation in Andosols. In conclusion, land use and nutrients influenced soil enzyme activities and microbial dynamics and demonstrated the decline in soil quality after landuse

  3. A comparison of maximal bioenergetic enzyme activities obtained with commonly used homogenization techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grace, M; Fletcher, L; Powers, S K; Hughes, M; Coombes, J

    1996-12-01

    Homogenization of tissue for analysis of bioenergetic enzyme activities is a common practice in studies examining metabolic properties of skeletal muscle adaptation to disease, aging, inactivity or exercise. While numerous homogenization techniques are in use today, limited information exists concerning the efficacy of specific homogenization protocols. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of four commonly used approaches to homogenizing skeletal muscle for analysis of bioenergetic enzyme activity. The maximal enzyme activity (Vmax) of citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured from homogenous muscle samples (N = 48 per homogenization technique) and used as indicators to determine which protocol had the highest efficacy. The homogenization techniques were: (1) glass-on-glass pestle; (2) a combination of a mechanical blender and a teflon pestle (Potter-Elvehjem); (3) a combination of the mechanical blender and a biological detergent; and (4) the combined use of a mechanical blender and a sonicator. The glass-on-glass pestle homogenization protocol produced significantly higher (P pestle homogenization protocol is the technique of choice for studying bioenergetic enzyme activity in skeletal muscle.

  4. Co-ordinate activation of lipogenic enzymes in hepatocellular carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yahagi, Naoya; Shimano, Hitoshi; Hasegawa, Kiyoshi; Ohashi, Kenichi; Matsuzaka, Takashi; Najima, Yuho; Sekiya, Motohiro; Tomita, Sachiko; Okazaki, Hiroaki; Tamura, Yoshiaki; Iizuka, Yoko; Ohashi, Ken; Nagai, Ryozo; Ishibashi, Shun; Kadowaki, Takashi; Makuuchi, Masatoshi; Ohnishi, Shin; Osuga, Jun-ichi; Yamada, Nobuhiro

    2005-06-01

    Hepatocellular carcinoma is a very common neoplastic disease in countries where hepatitis viruses B and/or C are prevalent. Small hepatocellular carcinoma lesions detected by ultrasonography at an early stage are often hyperechoic because they are composed of well-differentiated cancer cells that are rich in triglyceride droplets. The triglyceride content of hepatocytes depends in part on the rate of lipogenesis. Key lipogenic enzymes, such as fatty acid synthase, are co-ordinately regulated at the transcriptional level. We therefore examined the mRNA expression of lipogenic enzymes in human hepatocellular carcinoma samples from 10 patients who had undergone surgical resection. All of the samples exhibited marked elevation of expression of mRNA for lipogenic enzymes, such as fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ATP citrate lyase, compared with surrounding non-cancerous liver tissue. In contrast, the changes in mRNA expression of SREBP-1, a transcription factor that regulates a battery of lipogenic enzymes, did not show a consistent trend. In some cases where SREBP-1 was elevated, the main contributing isoform was SREBP-1c rather than SREBP-1a. Thus, lipogenic enzymes are markedly induced in hepatocellular carcinomas, and in some cases SREBP-1c is involved in this activation.

  5. Effects of electrokinetic treatment of a heavy metal contaminated soil on soil enzyme activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cang Long; Zhou Dongmei; Wang Quanying; Wu Danya

    2009-01-01

    There is a growing concern on the potential application of a direct current (DC) electric field to soil for removing contaminants, but little is known about its impact on soil enzyme activities. This study investigated the change of enzyme activities of a heavy metal contaminated soil before and after electrokinetic (EK) treatments at lab-scale and the mechanisms of EK treatment to affect soil enzyme activities were explored. After treatments with 1-3 V cm -1 of voltage gradient for 420 h, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil heavy metal concentration and enzyme activities were analyzed. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of soil copper were about 65% and 83% without and with pH control of catholyte, respectively, and all the removal efficiencies of cadmium were above 90%. The soil invertase and catalase activities increased and the highest invertase activity was as 170 times as the initial one. The activities of soil urease and acidic phosphatase were lower than the initial ones. Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that the soil invertase and acidic phosphatase activities were significantly correlated with soil pH, EC, and DOC at P < 0.05, but the soil urease activities had no correlation with the soil properties. On the other hand, the effects of DC electric current on solution invertase and catalase enzyme protein activities indicated that it had negative effect on solution catalase activity and little effect on solution invertase activity. From the change of invertase and catalase activities in soil and solution, the conclusion can be drawn that the dominant effect mechanism is the change of soil properties by EK treatments.

  6. Effects of electrokinetic treatment of a heavy metal contaminated soil on soil enzyme activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cang Long [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhou Dongmei, E-mail: dmzhou@issas.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Wang Quanying; Wu Danya [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

    2009-12-30

    There is a growing concern on the potential application of a direct current (DC) electric field to soil for removing contaminants, but little is known about its impact on soil enzyme activities. This study investigated the change of enzyme activities of a heavy metal contaminated soil before and after electrokinetic (EK) treatments at lab-scale and the mechanisms of EK treatment to affect soil enzyme activities were explored. After treatments with 1-3 V cm{sup -1} of voltage gradient for 420 h, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil heavy metal concentration and enzyme activities were analyzed. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of soil copper were about 65% and 83% without and with pH control of catholyte, respectively, and all the removal efficiencies of cadmium were above 90%. The soil invertase and catalase activities increased and the highest invertase activity was as 170 times as the initial one. The activities of soil urease and acidic phosphatase were lower than the initial ones. Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that the soil invertase and acidic phosphatase activities were significantly correlated with soil pH, EC, and DOC at P < 0.05, but the soil urease activities had no correlation with the soil properties. On the other hand, the effects of DC electric current on solution invertase and catalase enzyme protein activities indicated that it had negative effect on solution catalase activity and little effect on solution invertase activity. From the change of invertase and catalase activities in soil and solution, the conclusion can be drawn that the dominant effect mechanism is the change of soil properties by EK treatments.

  7. Digestive enzymes in Rhinolophus euryale (Rhinolophidae, Chiroptera are active also during hibernation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxinová Edita

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available During the winter, bats use hibernation as a means of surviving the period of low prey offer. However, the Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale arouses from torpor quite frequently. Based on the actual climatic conditions, it can profit from occasional foraging oportunities, when they occur. We analysed faeces collected on four nights during the period from November 2012 to February 2013 from the Domica-Baradla cave system (Slovakia and Hungary. In mid-November, the largest proportion of faecal contents were from Lepidoptera. Later on, the proportion of non-consumptive mass in the faeces increased and prey remnants disappeared. We analysed the activity of digestive enzymes (amylase, chitobiase, endochitinase and glukosaminidase in faeces. The activity of these enzymes was detected in fresh faeces throughout the whole winter. The faecal activity of the chitinases was relatively stable during the monitored period, whilst the activity of amylase was highest during late November and December. Some level of active digestive enzymes during the winter could be an adaptation to occasional winter foraging.

  8. Effects of misonidazole, irradiation and hyperthermia on lysosomal enzyme activity in mouse tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barratt, G.M.; Wills, E.D.

    1981-01-01

    Male C3H mice bearing transplanted tumours were treated with hyperthermia, gamma radiation and the radiosensitising drug misonidazole. The activity of tumour lysosomal acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase was determined using quantitative cytochemical techniques which measure both lysosomal membrane permeability and enzyme activity. Misonidazole had no effect on the membrane permeability or enzyme activity of tumour lysosomes 1 hr after injection; but 25 hr after the drug treatment the permeability of the lysosomal membrane to the substrate was increased to 1.7 times control. Increases in the lysosomal enzyme activity and membrane permeability were observed 1 hr after combined treatment with misonidazole and irradiation, although neither the drug nor irradiation given alone affected the lysosomes 1 hr after treatment. Twenty-five hours after treatment of tumours with misonidazole given 25 minutes before irradiation of tumours, permeability of the lysosomal membrane had increased to 2.3 times the control. The effects of the irradiation and the radio-sensitisers were thus synergistic. Hyperthermic treatment of tumours increased and misonidazole decreased the lysosomal membrane permeability and enzyme activity measured immediately after exposure. Thus misonidazole and irradiation act synergistically to cause increased lysosomal activity but misonidazole depresses the effect of hyperthermia on lysosomes. (author)

  9. Milk enzyme activities and subclinical mastitis among women in Guinea-Bissau

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Lill Brith Wium; Hartvig, Ditte Luise; Kæstel, Pernille

    2008-01-01

    research as indicators of SCM, udder health, and milk quality. Study Design: To investigate if milk enzyme activities and the inflammatory interleukin 8 (IL-8) level are increased in women with SCM, we measured sodium, potassium, NAGase, LDH, AcP, AP, and IL-8 in breastmilk samples collected at 2 months......Background: Subclinical mastititis (SCM) is a condition with raised milk concentration of sodium and milk immune factors. The milk enzymes N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acid phosphatase (AcP), and alkaline phosphatase (AP) have attracted attention in dairy...... in univariate linear regression (p enzymes and IL-8). Conclusions: A positive association between the Na/K ratio and the breastmilk enzymes NAGase, LDH, AcP, and AP was found. Breastmilk enzymes have not previously been investigated in relation to SCM in women, and further...

  10. Mesoporous silica-encapsulated gold nanoparticles as artificial enzymes for self-activated cascade catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Youhui; Li, Zhenhua; Chen, Zhaowei; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

    2013-04-01

    A significant challenge in chemistry is to create synthetic structures that mimic the complexity and function of natural systems. Here, a self-activated, enzyme-mimetic catalytic cascade has been realized by utilizing expanded mesoporous silica-encapsulated gold nanoparticles (EMSN-AuNPs) as both glucose oxidase- and peroxidase-like artificial enzymes. Specifically, EMSN helps the formation of a high degree of very small and well-dispersed AuNPs, which exhibit an extraordinarily stability and dual enzyme-like activities. Inspired by these unique and attractive properties, we further piece them together into a self-organized artificial cascade reaction, which is usually completed by the oxidase-peroxidase coupled enzyme system. Our finding may pave the way to use matrix as the structural component for the design and development of biomimetic catalysts and to apply enzyme mimics for realizing higher functions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Determination of lytic enzyme activities of indigenous Trichoderma isolates from Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asad, Saeed Ahmad; Tabassum, Ayesha; Hameed, Abdul; Hassan, Fayyaz Ul; Afzal, Aftab; Khan, Sabaz Ali; Ahmed, Rafiq; Shahzad, Muhammad

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated lytic enzyme activities in three indigenous Trichoderma strains namely, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma sp. Native Trichoderma strains and a virulent strain of Rhizoctonia solani isolated from infected bean plants were also included in the study. Enzyme activities were determined by measuring sugar reduction by dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method using suitable substrates. The antagonists were cultured in minimal salt medium with the following modifications: medium A (1 g of glucose), medium B (0.5 g of glucose + 0.5 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia), medium C (1.0 g of deactivated respective antagonist mycelium) and medium D (1 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia). T asperellum showed presence of higher amounts of chitinases, β-1, 3-glucanases and xylanases in extracellular protein extracts from medium D as compared to medium A. While, the higher activities of glucosidases and endoglucanses were shown in medium D extracts by T. harzianum. β-glucosidase activities were lower compared with other enzymes; however, activities of the extracts of medium D were significantly different. T. asperellum exhibited maximum inhibition (97.7%). On the other hand, Trichoderma sp. did not show any effect on mycelia growth of R. solani on crude extract.

  12. Determination of lytic enzyme activities of indigenous Trichoderma isolates from Pakistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asad, Saeed Ahmad; Tabassum, Ayesha; Hameed, Abdul; Hassan, Fayyaz ul; Afzal, Aftab; Khan, Sabaz Ali; Ahmed, Rafiq; Shahzad, Muhammad

    2015-01-01

    Abstract This study investigated lytic enzyme activities in three indigenous Trichoderma strains namely, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma sp. Native Trichoderma strains and a virulent strain of Rhizoctonia solani isolated from infected bean plants were also included in the study. Enzyme activities were determined by measuring sugar reduction by dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method using suitable substrates. The antagonists were cultured in minimal salt medium with the following modifications: medium A (1 g of glucose), medium B (0.5 g of glucose + 0.5 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia), medium C (1.0 g of deactivated respective antagonist mycelium) and medium D (1 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia). T asperellum showed presence of higher amounts of chitinases, β-1, 3-glucanases and xylanases in extracellular protein extracts from medium D as compared to medium A. While, the higher activities of glucosidases and endoglucanses were shown in medium D extracts by T. harzianum. β-glucosidase activities were lower compared with other enzymes; however, activities of the extracts of medium D were significantly different. T. asperellum exhibited maximum inhibition (97.7%). On the other hand, Trichoderma sp. did not show any effect on mycelia growth of R. solani on crude extract. PMID:26691463

  13. Responses of absolute and specific enzyme activity to consecutive application of composted sewage sludge in a Fluventic Ustochrept.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Liu

    Full Text Available Composted sewage sludge (CS is considered a rich source of soil nutrients and significantly affects the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil, but its effect on specific enzyme activity in soil is disregarded. The present experiment examined the absolute and specific enzyme activity of the enzymes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles, the diversity of soil microbial functions, and soil community composition in a Fluventic Ustochrept under a maize-wheat rotation system in North China during 2012-2015. Application of CS led to increase in MBC and in its ratio to both total organic carbon (TOC and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN. Absolute enzyme activity, except that of phosphatase, increased in CS-treated soils, whereas specific activity of all the enzymes declined, especially at the highest dose of CS (45 t ha-1. The diversity of soil microbial community also increased in CS-treated soils, whereas its functional diversity declined at higher doses of CS owing to the lowered specific enzyme activity. These changes indicate that CS application induced the domination of microorganisms that are not metabolically active and those that use resources more efficiently, namely fungi. Redundancy analysis showed that fundamental alterations in soil enzyme activity depend on soil pH. Soil specific enzyme activity is affected more than absolute enzyme activity by changes in soil properties, especially soil microbial activity and composition of soil microflora (as judged by the following ratios: MBC/TOC, MBC/MBN, and TOC/LOC, that is labile organic carbon through the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Specific enzyme activity is thus a more accurate parameter than absolute enzyme activity for monitoring the effect of adding CS on the activities and structure of soil microbial community.

  14. Regulatory proteins (inhibitors or activators) affect estimates of Msub(r) of enzymes and receptors by radiation inactivation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potier, M.; Giroux, S.

    1985-01-01

    The radiation-inactivation method allows the determination of the Msub(r) of enzymes and receptors by monitoring the decay of biological activity as a function of absorbed dose. The presence of regulatory or effector proteins (inhibitors or activators) associated with an enzyme or receptor, or released in the preparation after tissue homogenization, may affect the decay of biological activity. How the activity is affected, however, will depend on the type of inhibition (competitive or non-competitive), the inhibitor or activator concentration, the dissociation constant of the enzyme-effector system, and the effector Msub(r) relative to that of the enzyme. Since little is known on how effector proteins influence radiation inactivation of enzymes and receptors, we have considered a theoretical model in an effort to provide a framework for the interpretation of experimentally obtained data. Our model predicts that competitive and non-competitive inhibitors of enzymes could be distinguished by analysing irradiated samples with various substrate concentrations. Inhibitors will decrease whereas activators will increase the apparent target size of enzymes or receptors. (author)

  15. Utilization of steam- and explosion-decompressed aspen wood by some anaerobes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khan, A W; Asther, M; Giuliano, C

    1984-01-01

    Tests made to study the suitability of using steam- and explosion-decompressed aspen wood as a substrate in anaerobic fermentations indicated that after washing with dilute NaOH it becomes less than 80% accessible to both mesophilic and thermophilic cellulolytic anaerobes and cellulases, compared with delignified, ball-milled pulp. After washing, this material was also suitable for the single-step conversion of cellulose to EtOH using cocultures consisting of cellulolytic and EtOH-producing saccharolytic anaerobes; and without and after washing by the use of cellulolytic enzymes and ethanologenic anaerobes.

  16. Differences in forage-acquisition and fungal enzyme activity contribute to niche segregation in Panamanian leaf-cutting ants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kooij, Pepijn Wilhelmus; Liberti, Joanito; Giampoudakis, Konstantinos

    2014-01-01

    activities of twelve fungus garden decomposition enzymes, belonging to the amylases, cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases and proteinases, and show that average enzyme activity per unit of fungal mass in Atta gardens is lower than in Acromyrmex gardens. Expression profiles of fungal enzymes in Atta also...... for decomposition enzymes....

  17. A function-based screen for seeking RubisCO active clones from metagenomes: novel enzymes influencing RubisCO activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böhnke, Stefanie; Perner, Mirjam

    2015-03-01

    Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is a key enzyme of the Calvin cycle, which is responsible for most of Earth's primary production. Although research on RubisCO genes and enzymes in plants, cyanobacteria and bacteria has been ongoing for years, still little is understood about its regulation and activation in bacteria. Even more so, hardly any information exists about the function of metagenomic RubisCOs and the role of the enzymes encoded on the flanking DNA owing to the lack of available function-based screens for seeking active RubisCOs from the environment. Here we present the first solely activity-based approach for identifying RubisCO active fosmid clones from a metagenomic library. We constructed a metagenomic library from hydrothermal vent fluids and screened 1056 fosmid clones. Twelve clones exhibited RubisCO activity and the metagenomic fragments resembled genes from Thiomicrospira crunogena. One of these clones was further analyzed. It contained a 35.2 kb metagenomic insert carrying the RubisCO gene cluster and flanking DNA regions. Knockouts of twelve genes and two intergenic regions on this metagenomic fragment demonstrated that the RubisCO activity was significantly impaired and was attributed to deletions in genes encoding putative transcriptional regulators and those believed to be vital for RubisCO activation. Our new technique revealed a novel link between a poorly characterized gene and RubisCO activity. This screen opens the door to directly investigating RubisCO genes and respective enzymes from environmental samples.

  18. Determination of the activity signature of key carbohydrate metabolism enzymes in phenolic-rich grapevine tissues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Covington, Elizabeth Dunn; Roitsch, Thomas Georg; Dermastia, Marina

    2016-01-01

    Physiological studies in plants often require enzyme extraction from tissues containing high concentrations of phenols and polyphenols. Unless removed or neutralized, such compounds may hinder extraction, inactivate enzymes, and interfere with enzyme detection. The following protocol for activity...... assays for enzymes of primary carbohydrate metabolism, while based on our recently published one for quantitative measurement of activities using coupled spectrophotometric assays in a 96-well format, is tailored to the complexities of phenolic- and anthocyanin-rich extracts from grapevine leaf...

  19. Assessment of digestive enzymes activity during the fry development of the endangered Caspian brown trout Salmo caspius.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamani, A; Hajimoradloo, A; Madani, R; Farhangi, M

    2009-09-01

    The study of digestive enzymes activity at Salmo caspius fry showed that enzymes were available at the moment of mouth opening on the first day post hatching (dph) and the activity of enzymes showed no significant difference from the hatching day 28 dph. An increased activity was seen between 32 and 43 dph and this activity was significantly higher than the activity during the first 28 days. In the primary stages after yolk sac resorption (43-58 dph), enzymes activity showed an increased profile, however none of them showed a significant difference between 43 and 58 dph.

  20. [Effects of altitudes on soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity in alpine-gorge regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Rui; Wu, Fu Zhong; Yang, Wan Qin; Xu, Zhen Feng; Tani, Bo; Wang, Bin; Li, Jun; Chang, Chen Hui

    2016-04-22

    In order to understand the variations of soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities with the change of altitude, a field incubation was conducted in dry valley, ecotone between dry valley and mountain forest, subalpine coniferous forest, alpine forest and alpine meadow from 1563 m to 3994 m of altitude in the alpine-gorge region of western Sichuan. The microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and the activities of invertase, urease and acid phosphorus were measured in both soil organic layer and mineral soil layer. Both the soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities showed the similar tendency in soil organic layer. They increased from 2158 m to 3028 m, then decreased to the lowest value at 3593 m, and thereafter increased until 3994 m in the alpine-gorge region. In contrast, the soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities in mineral soil layer showed the trends as, the subalpine forest at 3028 m > alpine meadow at 3994 m > montane forest ecotone at 2158 m > alpine forest at 3593 m > dry valley at 1563 m. Regardless of altitudes, soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities were significantly higher in soil organic layer than in mineral soil layer. The soil microbial biomass was significantly positively correlated with the activities of the measured soil enzymes. Moreover, both the soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities were significantly positively correlated with soil water content, organic carbon, and total nitrogen. The activity of soil invertase was significantly positively correlated with soil phosphorus content, and the soil acid phosphatase was so with soil phosphorus content and soil temperature. In brief, changes in vegetation and other environmental factors resulting from altitude change might have strong effects on soil biochemical properties in the alpine-gorge region.

  1. Modeling the minimum enzymatic requirements for optimal cellulose conversion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Den Haan, R; Van Zyl, W H; Van Zyl, J M; Harms, T M

    2013-01-01

    Hydrolysis of cellulose is achieved by the synergistic action of endoglucanases, exoglucanases and β-glucosidases. Most cellulolytic microorganisms produce a varied array of these enzymes and the relative roles of the components are not easily defined or quantified. In this study we have used partially purified cellulases produced heterologously in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase our understanding of the roles of some of these components. CBH1 (Cel7), CBH2 (Cel6) and EG2 (Cel5) were separately produced in recombinant yeast strains, allowing their isolation free of any contaminating cellulolytic activity. Binary and ternary mixtures of the enzymes at loadings ranging between 3 and 100 mg g −1 Avicel allowed us to illustrate the relative roles of the enzymes and their levels of synergy. A mathematical model was created to simulate the interactions of these enzymes on crystalline cellulose, under both isolated and synergistic conditions. Laboratory results from the various mixtures at a range of loadings of recombinant enzymes allowed refinement of the mathematical model. The model can further be used to predict the optimal synergistic mixes of the enzymes. This information can subsequently be applied to help to determine the minimum protein requirement for complete hydrolysis of cellulose. Such knowledge will be greatly informative for the design of better enzymatic cocktails or processing organisms for the conversion of cellulosic biomass to commodity products. (letter)

  2. Carbohydrate-active enzymes in Trichoderma harzianum: a bioinformatic analysis bioprospecting for key enzymes for the biofuels industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira Filho, Jaire Alves; Horta, Maria Augusta Crivelente; Beloti, Lilian Luzia; Dos Santos, Clelton Aparecido; de Souza, Anete Pereira

    2017-10-12

    Trichoderma harzianum is used in biotechnology applications due to its ability to produce powerful enzymes for the conversion of lignocellulosic substrates into soluble sugars. Active enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism are defined as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), and the most abundant family in the CAZy database is the glycoside hydrolases. The enzymes of this family play a fundamental role in the decomposition of plant biomass. In this study, the CAZymes of T. harzianum were identified and classified using bioinformatic approaches after which the expression profiles of all annotated CAZymes were assessed via RNA-Seq, and a phylogenetic analysis was performed. A total of 430 CAZymes (3.7% of the total proteins for this organism) were annotated in T. harzianum, including 259 glycoside hydrolases (GHs), 101 glycosyl transferases (GTs), 6 polysaccharide lyases (PLs), 22 carbohydrate esterases (CEs), 42 auxiliary activities (AAs) and 46 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). Among the identified T. harzianum CAZymes, 47% were predicted to harbor a signal peptide sequence and were therefore classified as secreted proteins. The GH families were the CAZyme class with the greatest number of expressed genes, including GH18 (23 genes), GH3 (17 genes), GH16 (16 genes), GH2 (13 genes) and GH5 (12 genes). A phylogenetic analysis of the proteins in the AA9/GH61, CE5 and GH55 families showed high functional variation among the proteins. Identifying the main proteins used by T. harzianum for biomass degradation can ensure new advances in the biofuel production field. Herein, we annotated and characterized the expression levels of all of the CAZymes from T. harzianum, which may contribute to future studies focusing on the functional and structural characterization of the identified proteins.

  3. Viral Pseudo Enzymes Activate RIG-I via Deamidation to Evade Cytokine Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Shanping; Zhao, Jun; Song, Shanshan; He, Xiaojing; Minassian, Arlet; Zhou, Yu; Zhang, Junjie; Brulois, Kevin; Wang, Yuqi; Cabo, Jackson; Zandi, Ebrahim; Liang, Chengyu; Jung, Jae U; Zhang, Xuewu; Feng, Pinghui

    2015-01-01

    SUMMARY RIG-I is a pattern recognition receptor that senses viral RNA and is crucial for host innate immune defense. Here we describe a mechanism of RIG-I activation through amidotransferase-mediated deamidation. We show that viral homologues of phosphoribosylformyglycinamide synthase (PFAS), although lacking intrinsic enzyme activity, recruit cellular PFAS to deamidate and activate RIG-I. Accordingly, depletion and biochemical inhibition of PFAS impair RIG-I deamidation and concomitant activation. Purified PFAS and viral homologue thereof deamidate RIG-I in vitro. Ultimately, herpesvirus hijacks activated RIG-I to avoid antiviral cytokine production; loss of RIG-I or inhibition of RIG-I deamidation results in elevated cytokine production. Together, these findings demonstrate a surprising mechanism of RIG-I activation that is mediated by an enzyme. PMID:25752576

  4. Induction of antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation level in ion-beam-bombarded rice seeds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semsang, Nuananong; Yu, LiangDeng

    2013-07-01

    Low-energy ion beam bombardment has been used to mutate a wide variety of plant species. To explore the indirect effects of low-energy ion beam on biological damage due to the free radical production in plant cells, the increase in antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation level was investigated in ion-bombarded rice seeds. Local rice seeds were bombarded with nitrogen or argon ion beams at energies of 29-60 keV and ion fluences of 1 × 1016 ions cm-2. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and lipid peroxidation level were assayed in the germinated rice seeds after ion bombardment. The results showed most of the enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation levels in both the argon and nitrogen bombarded samples were higher than those in the natural control. N-ion bombardment could induce higher levels of antioxidant enzyme activities in the rice samples than the Ar-ion bombardment. Additional effects due to the vacuum condition were found to affect activities of some antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation level. This study demonstrates that ion beam bombardment and vacuum condition could induce the antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation level which might be due to free radical production in the bombarded rice seeds.

  5. Evaluation of Macerating Pectinase Enzyme Activity under Various Temperature, pH and Ethanol Regimes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew G. Reynolds

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The polygalacturonase (PGU, hemicellulase (mannanase and protease enzyme activities in commercial macerating, pectinase-enzyme preparations commonly used by wineries in Ontario (Scottzyme Color X and Color Pro were measured under various simulated process conditions (temperature, pH, and ethanol concentration. Treatments included three temperatures (15, 20 and 30 °C; pH = 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0; ethanol = 0%, four pH levels (3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0; temperature = 15, 20, 30 and 50 °C; ethanol = 0%, and four ethanol concentrations ((2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10%; temperature = 20 °C and pH = 3.5. Polygalacturonase enzyme activity in Color X increased linearly with temperature at all pH levels, and increased with pH at all temperature regimes. Polygalacturonase activity decreased with increasing ethanol. Color X mannanase activity increased with temperatures between 15 and 40 °C, and decreased with increased pH between 3.0 and 5.0. Response of mannanase to ethanol was cubic with a sharp decrease between 8 and 10% ethanol. Protease activity increased linearly with temperatures between 20 and 40 °C. These data suggest that the PGU, mannanase and protease components in these enzyme products provide sufficient activities within the ranges of pH, temperature, and ethanol common during the initial stages of red wine fermentations, although low must temperatures (<20 °C and presence of ethanol would likely lead to sub-optimal enzyme activities.

  6. Hydrolytic and ligninolytic enzyme activities in the Pb contaminated soil inoculated with litter-decomposing fungi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kähkönen, Mika A; Lankinen, Pauliina; Hatakka, Annele

    2008-06-01

    The impact of Pb contamination was tested to five hydrolytic (beta-glucosidase, beta-xylosidase, beta-cellobiosidase, alpha-glucosidase and sulphatase) and two ligninolytic (manganese peroxidase, MnP and laccase) enzyme activities in the humus layer in the forest soil. The ability of eight selected litter-degrading fungi to grow and produce extracellular enzymes in the heavily Pb (40 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) contaminated and non-contaminated soil in the non-sterile conditions was also studied. The Pb content in the test soil was close to that of the shooting range at Hälvälä (37 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) in Southern Finland. The fungi were Agaricus bisporus, Agrocybe praecox, Gymnopus peronatus, Gymnopilus sapineus, Mycena galericulata, Gymnopilus luteofolius, Stropharia aeruginosa and Stropharia rugosoannulata. The Pb contamination (40 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) was deleterious to all five studied hydrolytic enzyme activities after five weeks of incubation. All five hydrolytic enzyme activities were significantly higher in the soil than in the extract of the soil indicating that a considerable part of enzymes were particle bound in the soils. Hydrolytic enzyme activities were higher in the non-contaminated soil than in the Pb contaminated soil. Fungal inocula increased the hydrolytic enzyme activities beta-cellobiosidase and beta-glucosidase in non-contaminated soils. All five hydrolytic enzyme activities were similar with fungi and without fungi in the Pb contaminated soil. This was in line that Pb contamination (40 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) depressed the growth of all fungi compared to those grown without Pb in the soil. Laccase and MnP activities were low in both Pb contaminated and non-contaminated soil cultures. MnP activities were higher in soil cultures containing Pb than without Pb. Our results showed that Pb in the shooting ranges decreased fungal growth and microbial functioning in the soil.

  7. Quantitative enzyme activity determination with zeptomole sensitivity by microfluidic gradient-gel zymography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Alex J; Herr, Amy E

    2010-05-01

    We describe a sensitive zymography technique that utilizes an automated microfluidic platform to report enzyme molecular weight, amount, and activity (including k(cat) and K(m)) from dilute protein mixtures. Calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIP) is examined in detail as a model enzyme system, and the method is also demonstrated for horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The 40 min assay has a detection limit of 5 zmol ( approximately 3 000 molecules) of CIP. Two-step pore-limit electrophoresis with enzyme assay (PLENZ) is conducted in a single, straight microchannel housing a polyacrylamide (PA) pore-size gradient gel. In the first step, pore limit electrophoresis (PLE) sizes and pseudoimmobilizes resolved proteins. In the second step, electrophoresis transports both charged and neutral substrates into the PLE channel to the entrapped proteins. Arrival of substrate at the resolved enzyme band generates fluorescent product that reveals enzyme molecular weight against a fluorescent protein ladder. Additionally, the PLENZ zymography assay reports the kinetic properties of CIP in a fully quantitative manner. In contrast to covalent enzyme immobilization, physical pseudoimmobilization of CIP in the PA gel does not significantly reduce its maximum substrate turnover rate. However, an 11-fold increase in the Michaelis constant (over the free solution value) is observed, consistent with diffusional limitations on substrate access to the enzyme active site. PLENZ offers a robust platform for rapid and multiplexed functional analysis of heterogeneous protein samples in drug discovery, clinical diagnostics, and biocatalyst engineering.

  8. High-Throughput Analysis of Enzyme Activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Guoxin [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2007-01-01

    High-throughput screening (HTS) techniques have been applied to many research fields nowadays. Robot microarray printing technique and automation microtiter handling technique allows HTS performing in both heterogeneous and homogeneous formats, with minimal sample required for each assay element. In this dissertation, new HTS techniques for enzyme activity analysis were developed. First, patterns of immobilized enzyme on nylon screen were detected by multiplexed capillary system. The imaging resolution is limited by the outer diameter of the capillaries. In order to get finer images, capillaries with smaller outer diameters can be used to form the imaging probe. Application of capillary electrophoresis allows separation of the product from the substrate in the reaction mixture, so that the product doesn't have to have different optical properties with the substrate. UV absorption detection allows almost universal detection for organic molecules. Thus, no modifications of either the substrate or the product molecules are necessary. This technique has the potential to be used in screening of local distribution variations of specific bio-molecules in a tissue or in screening of multiple immobilized catalysts. Another high-throughput screening technique is developed by directly monitoring the light intensity of the immobilized-catalyst surface using a scientific charge-coupled device (CCD). Briefly, the surface of enzyme microarray is focused onto a scientific CCD using an objective lens. By carefully choosing the detection wavelength, generation of product on an enzyme spot can be seen by the CCD. Analyzing the light intensity change over time on an enzyme spot can give information of reaction rate. The same microarray can be used for many times. Thus, high-throughput kinetic studies of hundreds of catalytic reactions are made possible. At last, we studied the fluorescence emission spectra of ADP and obtained the detection limits for ADP under three different

  9. Effect of Cereal Type and Enzyme Addition on Performance, Pancreatic Enzyme Activity, Intestinal Microflora and Gut Morphology of Broilers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalantar M

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The effects of grain and carbohydrase enzyme supplementation were investigated on digestive physiology of chickens. A total of 625 one-day-old chicks (Ross 308 were randomly assigned to five treatments in a completely randomized design. Treatments included two different types of grains (wheat, and barley with or without a multi-carbohydrase supplement. A corn-based diet was also considered to serve as a control. Feeding barley-based diet with multi-carbohydrase led to higher feed intake (P < 0.01 than those fed corn- and wheat-based diets. Birds fed on barley and wheat diets had lower weight gain despite a higher feed conversion ratio (P < 0.01. Total count and number of different type of bacteria including Gram-negative, E. coli, and Clostridia increased after feeding wheat and barley but the number of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria decreased (P < 0.01. Feeding barley and wheat diets reduced villus height in different parts of the small intestine when compared to those fed on a corn diet. However, enzyme supplementation of barley and wheat diets improved weight gain and feed conversion ratio and resulted in reduced number of E. coli and Clostridia and increased number of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, and also restored the negative effects on intestinal villi height (P < 0.01. The activities of pancreatic α-amylase and lipase were (P < 0.01 increased in chickens fed wheat and barley diets when compared to the control fed on a corn diet. Enzyme supplementation reduced the activities of pancreatic α-amylase and lipase (P < 0.01. In conclusion, various dietary non-starch polysaccharides without enzyme supplementation have an adverse effect on digesta viscosity, ileal microflora, villi morphology, and pancreatic enzyme activity.

  10. Increased activities of mitochondrial enzymes in white adipose tissue in trained rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stallknecht, B; Vinten, J; Ploug, T

    1991-01-01

    of 8-12 rats were swim trained for 10 wk or served as either sedentary, sham swim-trained, or cold-stressed controls. White adipose tissue was removed, and the activities of the respiratory chain enzyme cytochrome-c oxidase (CCO) and of the enzyme malate dehydrogenase (MDH), which participates...... 0.05). In female rats the CCO activity expressed per milligram protein was increased 4.5-fold in the trained compared with the sedentary control rats (P less than 0.01). Neither cold stress nor sham swim training increased CCO or MDH activities in white adipose tissue (P greater than 0...

  11. Properties of latent and thiol-activated rat hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and regulation of enzyme activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dotan, I; Shechter, I

    1983-10-15

    The effect of the thiols glutathione (GSH), dithiothreitol (DTT), and dithioerythritol (DTE) on the conversion of an inactive, latent form (El) of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.34) to a catalyticaly active form (Ea) is examined. Latent hepatic microsomal HMG-CoA reductase is activated to a similar degree of activation by DTT and DTE and to a lower extent by GSH. All three thiols affect both Km and Vmax values of the enzyme toward HMG-CoA and NADPH. Studies of the effect of DTT on the affinity binding of HMG-CoA reductase to agarose-hexane-HMG-CoA (AG-HMG-CoA) resin shows that thiols are necessary for the binding of the enzyme to the resin. Removal of DTT from AG-HMG-CoA-bound soluble Ea (active enzyme) does not cause dissociation of the enzyme from the resin at low salt concentrations. Substitution of DTT by NADPH does not promote binding of soluble El (latent enzyme) to AG-HMG-CoA. The enzymatic activity of Ea in the presence of DTT and GSH indicates that these thiols compete for the same binding site on the enzyme. Diethylene glycol disulfide (ESSE) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) inhibit the activity of Ea. ESSE is more effective for the inhibition of Ea than GSSG, causing a higher degree of maximal inhibition and affecting the enzymatic activity at lower concentrations. A method is described for the rapid conversion of soluble purified Ea to El using gel-filtration chromatography on Bio-Gel P-4 columns. These combined results point to the importance of the thiol/disulfide ratio for the modulation of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity.

  12. Virtual Biochemistry – pH effect on enzyme activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.N. Heidrich

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Protocols of laboratory experiments, followed by teacher's explanation, not always clearly translate to the student the dynamics to beadopted for the implementation of the proposed practice. One of these cases is related to the study of the effect of pH on enzyme activity. For better help the understanding of the technical procedure, a hypermedia was built based on a protocol adopted at the Department of Biochemistry, UFSC. The hypermedia shows how theeffect of variations in pH can be observed  in vitro. Taking as example salivary amylase and the consumption of starch (substrate by means of iodine staining, a set of pH buffers was tested to identify the best pH for this enzyme  activity. This hypermedia as introductory tool for such practice was tested on aNutrition course classroom. Students agree that the hypermedia provided a better understanding of the proposed activities. Teachers also notice a smallerreagents consumption and reduction of the time spent by the students in the achievement of the experiment.

  13. Predicting novel substrates for enzymes with minimal experimental effort with active learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pertusi, Dante A; Moura, Matthew E; Jeffryes, James G; Prabhu, Siddhant; Walters Biggs, Bradley; Tyo, Keith E J

    2017-11-01

    Enzymatic substrate promiscuity is more ubiquitous than previously thought, with significant consequences for understanding metabolism and its application to biocatalysis. This realization has given rise to the need for efficient characterization of enzyme promiscuity. Enzyme promiscuity is currently characterized with a limited number of human-selected compounds that may not be representative of the enzyme's versatility. While testing large numbers of compounds may be impractical, computational approaches can exploit existing data to determine the most informative substrates to test next, thereby more thoroughly exploring an enzyme's versatility. To demonstrate this, we used existing studies and tested compounds for four different enzymes, developed support vector machine (SVM) models using these datasets, and selected additional compounds for experiments using an active learning approach. SVMs trained on a chemically diverse set of compounds were discovered to achieve maximum accuracies of ~80% using ~33% fewer compounds than datasets based on all compounds tested in existing studies. Active learning-selected compounds for testing resolved apparent conflicts in the existing training data, while adding diversity to the dataset. The application of these algorithms to wide arrays of metabolic enzymes would result in a library of SVMs that can predict high-probability promiscuous enzymatic reactions and could prove a valuable resource for the design of novel metabolic pathways. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Predicting novel substrates for enzymes with minimal experimental effort with active learning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pertusi, Dante A.; Moura, Matthew E.; Jeffryes, James G.; Prabhu, Siddhant; Walters Biggs, Bradley; Tyo, Keith E. J.

    2017-11-01

    Enzymatic substrate promiscuity is more ubiquitous than previously thought, with significant consequences for understanding metabolism and its application to biocatalysis. This realization has given rise to the need for efficient characterization of enzyme promiscuity. Enzyme promiscuity is currently characterized with a limited number of human-selected compounds that may not be representative of the enzyme's versatility. While testing large numbers of compounds may be impractical, computational approaches can exploit existing data to determine the most informative substrates to test next, thereby more thoroughly exploring an enzyme's versatility. To demonstrate this, we used existing studies and tested compounds for four different enzymes, developed support vector machine (SVM) models using these datasets, and selected additional compounds for experiments using an active learning approach. SVMs trained on a chemically diverse set of compounds were discovered to achieve maximum accuracies of similar to 80% using similar to 33% fewer compounds than datasets based on all compounds tested in existing studies. Active learning-selected compounds for testing resolved apparent conflicts in the existing training data, while adding diversity to the dataset. The application of these algorithms to wide arrays of metabolic enzymes would result in a library of SVMs that can predict high-probability promiscuous enzymatic reactions and could prove a valuable resource for the design of novel metabolic pathways.

  15. Methodological Considerations and Comparisons of Measurement Results for Extracellular Proteolytic Enzyme Activities in Seawater

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yumiko Obayashi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Microbial extracellular hydrolytic enzymes that degrade organic matter in aquatic ecosystems play key roles in the biogeochemical carbon cycle. To provide linkages between hydrolytic enzyme activities and genomic or metabolomic studies in aquatic environments, reliable measurements are required for many samples at one time. Extracellular proteases are one of the most important classes of enzymes in aquatic microbial ecosystems, and protease activities in seawater are commonly measured using fluorogenic model substrates. Here, we examined several concerns for measurements of extracellular protease activities (aminopeptidases, and trypsin-type, and chymotrypsin-type activities in seawater. Using a fluorometric microplate reader with low protein binding, 96-well microplates produced reliable enzymatic activity readings, while use of regular polystyrene microplates produced readings that showed significant underestimation, especially for trypsin-type proteases. From the results of kinetic experiments, this underestimation was thought to be attributable to the adsorption of both enzymes and substrates onto the microplate. We also examined solvent type and concentration in the working solution of oligopeptide-analog fluorogenic substrates using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO and 2-methoxyethanol (MTXE. The results showed that both 2% (final concentration of solvent in the mixture of seawater sample and substrate working solution DMSO and 2% MTXE provide similarly reliable data for most of the tested substrates, except for some substrates which did not dissolve completely in these assay conditions. Sample containers are also important to maintain the level of enzyme activity in natural seawater samples. In a small polypropylene containers (e.g., standard 50-mL centrifugal tube, protease activities in seawater sample rapidly decreased, and it caused underestimation of natural activities, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. In

  16. Induction of antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation level in ion-beam-bombarded rice seeds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Semsang, Nuananong, E-mail: nsemsang@gmail.com [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Yu, LiangDeng [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)

    2013-07-15

    Highlights: ► Ion beam bombarded rice seeds in vacuum. ► Studied seed survival from the ion bombardment. ► Determined various antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation level. ► Discussed vacuum, ion species and ion energy effects. ► Attributed the changes to free radical formation due to ion bombardment. -- Abstract: Low-energy ion beam bombardment has been used to mutate a wide variety of plant species. To explore the indirect effects of low-energy ion beam on biological damage due to the free radical production in plant cells, the increase in antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation level was investigated in ion-bombarded rice seeds. Local rice seeds were bombarded with nitrogen or argon ion beams at energies of 29–60 keV and ion fluences of 1 × 10{sup 16} ions cm{sup −2}. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and lipid peroxidation level were assayed in the germinated rice seeds after ion bombardment. The results showed most of the enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation levels in both the argon and nitrogen bombarded samples were higher than those in the natural control. N-ion bombardment could induce higher levels of antioxidant enzyme activities in the rice samples than the Ar-ion bombardment. Additional effects due to the vacuum condition were found to affect activities of some antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation level. This study demonstrates that ion beam bombardment and vacuum condition could induce the antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation level which might be due to free radical production in the bombarded rice seeds.

  17. Diverse effects of arsenic on selected enzyme activities in soil-plant-microbe interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyubun, Yelena V; Pleshakova, Ekaterina V; Mkandawire, Martin; Turkovskaya, Olga V

    2013-11-15

    Under the influence of pollutants, enzyme activities in plant-microbe-soil systems undergo changes of great importance in predicting soil-plant-microbe interactions, regulation of metal and nutrient uptake, and, ultimately, improvement of soil health and fertility. We evaluated the influence of As on soil enzyme activities and the effectiveness of five field crops for As phytoextraction. The initial As concentration in soil was 50mg As kg(-1) soil; planted clean soil, unplanted polluted soil, and unplanted clean soil served as controls. After 10 weeks, the growth of the plants elevated soil dehydrogenase activity relative to polluted but unplanted control soils by 2.4- and 2.5-fold for sorghum and sunflower (respectively), by 3-fold for ryegrass and sudangrass, and by 5.2-fold for spring rape. Soil peroxidase activity increased by 33% with ryegrass and rape, while soil phosphatase activity was directly correlated with residual As (correlation coefficient R(2)=0.7045). We conclude that soil enzyme activities should be taken into account when selecting plants for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Cyanide does more to inhibit heme enzymes, than merely serving as an active-site ligand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parashar, Abhinav [Center for Biomedical Research, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014 India (India); Venkatachalam, Avanthika [REDOx Lab, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Avinashi Road, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641004 (India); Gideon, Daniel Andrew [Center for Biomedical Research, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014 India (India); Manoj, Kelath Murali, E-mail: satyamjayatu@yahoo.com [REDOx Lab, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Avinashi Road, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641004 (India)

    2014-12-12

    Highlights: • Cyanide (CN) is a well-studied toxic principle, known to inhibit heme-enzymes. • Inhibition is supposed to result from CN binding at the active site as a ligand. • Diverse heme enzymes’ CN inhibition profiles challenge prevailing mechanism. • Poor binding efficiency of CN at low enzyme concentrations and ligand pressures. • CN-based diffusible radicals cause ‘non-productive electron transfers’ (inhibition). - Abstract: The toxicity of cyanide is hitherto attributed to its ability to bind to heme proteins’ active site and thereby inhibit their activity. It is shown herein that the long-held interpretation is inadequate to explain several observations in heme-enzyme reaction systems. Generation of cyanide-based diffusible radicals in heme-enzyme reaction milieu could shunt electron transfers (by non-active site processes), and thus be detrimental to the efficiency of oxidative outcomes.

  19. Regulation of antioxidant enzyme activities in male and female rat macrophages by sex steroids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azevedo R.B.

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Human and animal immune functions present sex dimorphism that seems to be mainly regulated by sex hormones. In the present study, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes total superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px were measured in intraperitoneal resident macrophages from adult male and female rats. In addition to comparing males and females, we also examined the regulation of these enzyme activities in macrophages by sex steroids. GSH-Px activity did not differ between male and female macrophages. However, both total SOD and CAT activities were markedly higher in females than in males (83 and 180%. Removal of the gonads in both males and females (comparison between castrated groups increased the difference in SOD activity from 83 to 138% and reduced the difference in CAT activity from 180 to 86%. Castration and testosterone administration did not significantly modify the activities of the antioxidant enzymes in male macrophages. Ovariectomy did not affect SOD or GSH-Px activity but markedly reduced (48% CAT activity. This latter change was fully reversed by estrogen administration, whereas progesterone had a smaller effect. These results led us to conclude that differences in the SOD and CAT activities may partially explain some of the differences in immune function reported for males and females. Also, estrogen is a potent regulator of CAT in macrophages and therefore this enzyme activity in macrophages may vary considerably during the menstrual cycle.

  20. [Effects of Different Reclaimed Scenarios on Soil Microbe and Enzyme Activities in Mining Areas].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jun-jian; Liu, Feng; Zhou, Xiao-mei

    2015-05-01

    Abstract: Ecological degradation in the mining areas is greatly aggravated in recent several decades, and ecological restoration has become the primary measure for the sustainable development. Soil microbe and enzyme activity are sensitive indices to evaluate soil quality. Ecological reconstruction was initiated in Antaibao mining area, and we tested soil physicochemical properties, microbial populations of azotobacteria, nitrifying-bacteria and denitrifying-bacteria, and enzyme activities (including sucrose, polyphenol oxidase, dehydrogenase and urease) under different regeneration scenarios. Regeneration scenarios had significant effects on soil physicochemical properties, microbial population and enzyme activities. Total nitrogen was strongly correlated with azotobacteria and nitrifying-bacteria, however, total nitrogen was not correlated with denitrifying-bacteria. Phenol oxidase activity was negatively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, but other enzyme activities were positively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. Principal Component Analysis ( PCA) was applied to analyze the integrated fertility index (IFI). The highest and lowest IFIs were in Robinia pseudoacacia-Pinus tabuliformis mixed forests and un-reclaimed area, respectively. R. pseudoacacia-P. tabuliformis mixed forests were feasible for reclaimed mining areas in semi-arid region Northwest Shanxi.

  1. Radiation effects on the parotid gland of mammals. Pt. 3. Behaviour of enzyme activity after irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tomassi, I; Balzi, M; Cremonini, D; Becciolini, A; Giannardi, G [Florence Univ. (Italy). Istituto di Radiologia; Pelu, G [I.N.R.C.A., Florence (Italy). Inst. of Radiology

    1979-08-01

    Modifications of some enzyme activities in parotid tissue homogenates have been studied in animals which were also examined for morphological changes and for plasma and parotid amylase activity. Results from irradiated animals show a certain increase in maltase activity. Alkaline phosphatase and LAP show no significant variations; a similar behaviour is shown by lysosomal enzymes and protein content. A different pattern was seen by comparing the curves of these enzymes with those of the same activity in the small intestine. This result appears to be due to the different radiosensitivity of these tissues.

  2. Prostaglandin levels and lysosomal enzyme activities in irradiated rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trocha, P.J.; Catravas, G.N.

    1980-01-01

    Whole-body irradiation of rats results in the release of hydrolases from lysosomes, an increase in lysosomal enzyme activities, and changes in the prostaglandin levels in spleen and liver tissues. A transient increase in the concentration of prostaglandins E and F and leakage of lysosomal hydrolases occurred in both spleen and liver tissues 3-6 hours after the animals were irradiated. Maximal values for hydrolase activities, prostaglandin E and F content, and release of lysosomal enzymes were found 4 days postirradiation in rat spleens whereas in the liver only slight increases were observed at this time period for prostaglandin F levels. On day 7 there was a final rise in the spleen's prostaglandin E and F concentrations and leakage of hydrolases from the lysosomes before returning to near normal values on day 11. The prostaglandin F concentration in liver was also slightly elevated on the 7th day after irradiation and then decreased to control levels. (author)

  3. Effect of feeding palm oil by-products based diets on total bacteria, cellulolytic bacteria and methanogenic archaea in the rumen of goats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abubakr, Abdelrahim; Alimon, Abdul Razak; Yaakub, Halimatun; Abdullah, Norhani; Ivan, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Rumen microorganisms are responsible for digestion and utilization of dietary feeds by host ruminants. Unconventional feed resources could be used as alternatives in tropical areas where feed resources are insufficient in terms of quality and quantity. The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of diets based on palm oil (PO), decanter cake (DC) or palm kernel cake (PKC) on rumen total bacteria, selected cellulolytic bacteria, and methanogenic archaea. Four diets: control diet (CD), decanter cake diet (DCD), palm kernel cake diet (PKCD) and CD plus 5% PO diet (CPOD) were fed to rumen cannulated goats and rumen samples were collected at the start of the experimental diets (day 0) and on days 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24 and 30 post dietary treatments. Feeding DCD and PKCD resulted in significantly higher (Pgoats fed PKCD and CPOD and the trend showed a severe reduction on days 4 and 6 post experimental diets. In conclusion, results indicated that feeding DCD and PKC increased the populations of cellulolytic bacteria and decreased the density of methanogenic archaea in the rumen of goats.

  4. Lactosylamidine-based affinity purification for cellulolytic enzymes EG I and CBH I from Hypocrea jecorina and their properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogata, Makoto; Kameshima, Yumiko; Hattori, Takeshi; Michishita, Kousuke; Suzuki, Tomohiro; Kawagishi, Hirokazu; Totani, Kazuhide; Hiratake, Jun; Usui, Taichi

    2010-12-10

    Selective adsorption and separation of β-glucosidase, endo-acting endo-β-(1→4)-glucanase I (EG I), and exo-acting cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) were achieved by affinity chromatography with β-lactosylamidine as ligand. A crude cellulase preparation from Hypocrea jecorina served as the source of enzyme. When crude cellulase was applied to the lactosylamidine-based affinity column, β-glucosidase appeared in the unbound fraction. By contrast, EG I and CBH I were retained on the column and then separated from each other by appropriately adjusting the elution conditions. The relative affinities of the enzymes, based on their column elution conditions, were strongly dependent on the ligand. The highly purified EG I and CBH I, obtained by affinity chromatography, were further purified by Mono P and DEAE chromatography, respectively. EG I and CBH I cleave only at the phenolic bond in p-nitrophenyl glycosides with lactose and N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc). By contrast, both scissile bonds in p-nitrophenyl glycosides with cellobiose were subject to hydrolysis although with important differences in their kinetic parameters. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of Barley and Enzyme on Performance, Carcass, Enzyme Activity and Digestion Parameters of Broilers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    majid kalantar

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Corn has been recently used for producing ethanol fuel in the major corn-producing countries such as the US and Brazil. Recent diversion of corn for biofuel production along with the increased world's demand for this feedstuff has resulted in unprecedented rise in feed cost for poultry worldwide. Alternative grains such as wheat and barley can be successfully replaced for corn in poultry diets. These cereal grains can locally grow in many parts of the world as they have remarkably lower water requirement than corn. Wheat and barley are generally used as major sources of energy in poultry diets. Though the major components of these grains are starch and proteins, they have considerable content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs, derived from the cell walls (Olukosi et al. 2007; Mirzaie et al. 2012. NSPs are generally considered as anti-nutritional factors (Jamroz et al. 2002. The content and structure of NSP polymers vary between different grains, which consequently affect their nutritive value (Olukosi et al. 2007.Wheat and barley are generally used as major sources of energy in poultry diets. The major components of these grains are starch and proteins, they have considerable content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs, derived from the cell walls. NSPs are generally considered as anti-nutritional factors. The content and structure of NSP polymers vary between different grains, which consequently affect their nutritive value. The major part of NSPs in barley comprises polymers of (1→3 (1→4-β- glucans which could impede growth factors and consequently carcass quality through lowering the rate and amount of available nutrients in the mucosal surface of the intestinal. Materials and Methods This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of corn and barley based diets supplemented with multi-enzyme on growth, carcass, pancreas enzyme activity and physiological characteristics of broilers. A total number of 375 one day old

  6. Thermophilic, lignocellulolytic bacteria for ethanol production: current state and perspectives

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chang, Tinghong; Yao, Shuo

    2011-01-01

    of cellulolytic and saccharolytic thermophilic bacteria for lignocellulosic ethanol production because of their unique properties. First of all, thermophilic bacteria possess unique cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic systems and are considered as potential sources of highly active and thermostable enzymes...... for efficient biomass hydrolysis. Secondly, thermophilic bacteria ferment a broad range of carbohydrates into ethanol, and some of them display potential for ethanologenic fermentation at high yield. Thirdly, the establishment of the genetic tools for thermophilic bacteria has allowed metabolic engineering......, in particular with emphasis on improving ethanol yield, and this facilitates their employment for ethanol production. Finally, different processes for second-generation ethanol production based on thermophilic bacteria have been proposed with the aim to achieve cost-competitive processes. However, thermophilic...

  7. Genetic ontogeny of pancreatic enzymes in Labrus bergylta larvae and the effect of feed type on enzyme activities and gene expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Truls Wergeland; Folkvord, Arild; Grøtan, Espen; Sæle, Øystein

    2013-03-01

    A newly cultivated wrasse species, Labrus bergylta, have shown great potential for use in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms in the battle against sea lice (Lepeoptheirus salmonis) infections. Hatchery reared L. bergylta were studied from 2 to 55 DPH to examine the molecular basis of digestive ontogeny related to the pancreas. An isolated feeding trial was performed on 27-34 DPH larvae to compare the effect of diet on enzyme activity and the possible exogenous contribution by live feed. The following genes coding for key pancreatic enzymes were analyzed by qPCR: trypsin, Cyp7 A1, BAL, sPLA(2) 1B, amylase and pancreatic chitinase. Enzyme activity was measured on trypsin, neutral lipase, sPLA(2), amylase and chitinase in fed and unfed larvae. We did not observe any effects of the formulated diet v.s. rotifers on enzyme activities of neutral lipase, chitinase and sPLA(2). However, a probable feed-dependency was observed at a transcriptional level, where rotifers seem to stimulate upregulation. The regulation of BAL was the only exception, where an upregulation was observed after weaning both in the ontogeny series and the experimental part. Our data on pancreatic chitinase and amylase mRNA levels suggest the importance of carbohydrates in the diet of early larval and juvenile L. bergylta. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. A new methodology for the determination of enzyme activity based on carbon nanotubes and glucose oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeşiller, Gülden; Sezgintürk, Mustafa Kemal

    2015-11-10

    In this research, a novel enzyme activity analysis methodology is introduced as a new perspective for this area. The activity of elastase enzyme, which is a digestive enzyme mostly of found in the digestive system of vertebrates, was determined by an electrochemical device composed of carbon nanotubes and a second enzyme, glucose oxidase, which was used as a signal generator enzyme. In this novel methodology, a complex bioactive layer was constructed by using carbon nanotubes, glucose oxidase and a supporting protein, gelatin on a solid, conductive substrate. The activity of elastase was determined by monitoring the hydrolysis rate of elastase enzyme in the bioactive layer. As a result of this hydrolysis of elastase, glucose oxidase was dissociated from the bioactive layer, and following this the electrochemical signal due to glucose oxidase was decreased. The progressive elastase-catalyzed digestion of the bioactive layer containing glucose oxidase decreased the layer's enzymatic efficiency, resulting in a decrease of the glucose oxidation current as a function of the enzyme activity. The ratio of the decrease was correlated to elastase activity level. In this study, optimization experiments of bioactive components and characterization of the resulting new electrochemical device were carried out. A linear calibration range from 0.0303U/mL to 0.0729U/mL of elastase was reported. Real sample analyses were also carried out by the new electrochemical device. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Association between Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Enterovirus-Infected Type 1 Diabetic Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Moneim, Adel; El-Senousy, Waled M; Abdel-Latif, Mahmoud; Khalil, Rehab G

    2018-01-01

    To examine the effect of infection with Enterovirus (EV) in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) on the activities of serum antioxidant enzymes in diabetic and nondiabetic controls. Three hundred and eighty-two diabetic and 100 nondiabetic children were tested for EV RNA using reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. The activities of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) were also estimated in diabetic patients infected with EV (T1D-EV+), those not infected with EV (T1D-EV-), and in nondiabetic controls. The frequency of EV was higher in diabetic children (100/382; 26.2%) than in healthy controls (0/100). Levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly higher but C-peptide was significantly lower in diabetic children than in controls. CRP levels were higher in the T1D-EV+ group than in the T1D-EV- group, and higher in all diabetic children than in nondiabetic controls. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes GPx, SOD, and CAT decreased significantly in diabetic children compared to in controls. Moreover, the activities of the enzymes tested were significantly reduced in the T1D-EV+ group compared to in the T1D-EV- group. Our data indicate that EV infection correlated with a decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the T1D-EV+ group compared to in the T1D-EV- group; this may contribute to β cell damage and increased inflammation. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. The influence of carbon nanotubes on enzyme activity and structure: investigation of different immobilization procedures through enzyme kinetics and circular dichroism studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cang-Rong, Jason Teng; Pastorin, Giorgia

    2009-01-01

    In the last decade, many environmental organizations have devoted their efforts to identifying renewable biosystems, which could provide sustainable fuels and thus enhance energy security. Amidst the myriad of possibilities, some biofuels make use of different types of waste biomasses, and enzymes are often employed to hydrolyze these biomasses and produce sugars that will be subsequently converted into ethanol. In this project, we aimed to bridge nanotechnology and biofuel production: here we report on the activity and structure of the enzyme amyloglucosidase (AMG), physically adsorbed or covalently immobilized onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). In fact, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) present several properties that render them ideal support systems, without the diffusion limitations displayed by porous material and with the advantage of being further functionalizable at their surface. Chemical ligation was achieved both on oxidized nanotubes (via carbodiimide chemistry), as well as on amino-functionalized nanotubes (via periodate-oxidized AMG). Results showed that AMG retained a certain percentage of its specific activity for all enzyme-carbon nanotubes complexes prepared, with the physically adsorbed samples displaying better catalytic efficiency than the covalently immobilized samples. Analysis of the enzyme's structure through circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed significant structural changes in all samples, the degree of change being consistent with the activity profiles. This study proves that AMG interacts differently with carbon nanotubes depending on the method employed. Due to the higher activity reported by the enzyme physically adsorbed onto CNTs, these samples demonstrated a vast potential for further development. At the same time, the possibility of inducing magnetic properties into CNTs offers the opportunity to easily separate them from the original solution. Hence, substances to which they

  11. Superoxide dismutase and catalase conjugated to polyethylene glycol increases endothelial enzyme activity and oxidant resistance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckman, J.S.; Minor, R.L. Jr.; White, C.W.; Repine, J.E.; Rosen, G.M.; Freeman, B.A.

    1988-01-01

    Covalent conjugation of superoxide dismutase and catalase with polyethylene glycol (PEG) increases the circulatory half-lives of these enzymes from 125 I-PEG-catalase or 125 I-PEG-superoxide dismutase produced a linear, concentration-dependent increase in cellular enzyme activity and radioactivity. Fluorescently labeled PEG-superoxide dismutase incubated with endothelial cells showed a vesicular localization. Mechanical injury to cell monolayers, which is known to stimulate endocytosis, further increased the uptake of fluorescent PEG-superoxide dismutase. Addition of PEG and PEG-conjugated enzymes perturbed the spin-label binding environment, indicative of producing an increase in plasma membrane fluidity. Thus, PEG conjugation to superoxide dismutase and catalase enhances cell association of these enzymes in a manner which increases cellular enzyme activities and provides prolonged protection from partially reduced oxygen species

  12. Bacillus subtilis with endocellulase and exocellulase activities isolated in the thermophilic phase from composting with coffee residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siu-Rodas, Yadira; Calixto-Romo, María de Los Angeles; Guillén-Navarro, Karina; Sánchez, José E; Zamora-Briseño, Jesús Alejandro; Amaya-Delgado, Lorena

    2017-12-27

    The goal of this study was to isolate, select and characterize bacteria with cellulolytic activity from two different coffee residue composting piles, one of which had an internal temperature of 57°C and pH 5.5 and the other, a temperature of 61°C, and pH 9.3. Culture media were manipulated with carboxymethylcellulose and crystalline cellulose as sole carbon sources. The enzyme activity was assessed by hydrolysis halo formation, reducing sugar production and zymograms. Three out of twenty isolated strains showed higher enzymatic activity and were identified as Bacillus subtilis according to their morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics and based on the sequence analysis of 16S rDNA regions. The enzymatic extracts of the three selected strains showed exocellulase and endocellulase maximum activity of 0.254 and 0.519 U/ml, respectively; the activity of these enzymes was maintained even in acid pH (4.8) and basic (9.3) and at temperatures of up to 60°C. The enzymatic activities observed in this study are within the highest reported for cellulose produced by bacteria of the genus Bacillus. Endocellulase activity was shown in the zymograms from 24h until 144h of incubation. Furthermore, the pH effect on the endocellulase activity is reported for the first time by zymograms. The findings in this study entail the possibility to use these enzymes in the procurement of fermentable substrates for the production of energy from the large amount of residues generated by the coffee agroindustry. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Crystallization of Hevamine, an Enzyme with Lysozyme/Chitinase Activity from Hevea brasiliensis Latex

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ROZEBOOM, HJ; BUDIANI, A; BEINTEMA, JJ

    1990-01-01

    Hevamine, an enzyme with both lysozyme and chitinase activity, was isolated and purified from Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) latex. The enzyme (molecular weight 29,000) is homologous to certain “pathogenesis-related” proteins from plants, but not to hen egg-white or phage T4 lysozyme. To

  14. Enzyme activity and seedling growth of soybean seeds under accelerated aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yadollhhi Nooshabadi S.J.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Seed aging is the main problem of seed storage. Changes of bio-chemical and reduction of seedling growth are consequence of seed deterioration. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of accelerated aging on soybean seed germination indexes and enzyme activity. Seeds were incubated in closed plastic boxes for the accelerated aging treatments. Three accelerate aging regimes were performed by placing seeds at 41°C and relative humidity (RH of 90-100 % for 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days periods. Our results showed that increasing aging duration resulted higher reduction in germination characteristics, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase. Germination percentage, means time to germination, germination index, normal seedling percentage and enzyme activity decrease significantly.

  15. Ecotoxicological effects of copper and selenium combined pollution on soil enzyme activities in planted and unplanted soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Bin; Liang, Dongli; Liu, Juanjuan; Xie, Junyu

    2013-04-01

    The present study explored the joint effects of Cu and Se pollution mechanisms on soil enzymes to provide references for the phytoremediation of contaminated areas and agricultural environmental protection. Pot experiments and laboratory analyses were carried out to study the individual and combined influences of Cu and Se on soil enzyme activities. The activities of four soil enzymes (urease, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, and nitrate reductase) were chosen. All soil enzyme activities tested were inhibited by Cu and Se pollution, either individually or combined, in varying degrees, following the order nitrate reductase>urease>catalase>alkaline phosphatase. Growing plants stimulated soil enzyme activity in a similar trend compared with treatments without plants. The joint effects of Cu and Se on catalase activity showed synergism at low concentrations and antagonism at high concentrations, whereas the opposite was observed for urease activity. However, nitrate reductase activity showed synergism both with and without plant treatments. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of exchangeable fractions had a similar trend with the EC50 of total content and was lower than that of total content. The EC50 values of nitrate reductase and urease activities were significantly lower for both Se and Cu (p<0.05), which indicated that they were more sensitive than the other two enzymes. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

  16. Artificial Enzymes, "Chemzymes"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerre, Jeannette; Rousseau, Cyril Andre Raphaël; Pedersen, Lavinia Georgeta M

    2008-01-01

    Enzymes have fascinated scientists since their discovery and, over some decades, one aim in organic chemistry has been the creation of molecules that mimic the active sites of enzymes and promote catalysis. Nevertheless, even today, there are relatively few examples of enzyme models that successf......Enzymes have fascinated scientists since their discovery and, over some decades, one aim in organic chemistry has been the creation of molecules that mimic the active sites of enzymes and promote catalysis. Nevertheless, even today, there are relatively few examples of enzyme models...... that successfully perform Michaelis-Menten catalysis under enzymatic conditions (i.e., aqueous medium, neutral pH, ambient temperature) and for those that do, very high rate accelerations are seldomly seen. This review will provide a brief summary of the recent developments in artificial enzymes, so called...... "Chemzymes", based on cyclodextrins and other molecules. Only the chemzymes that have shown enzyme-like activity that has been quantified by different methods will be mentioned. This review will summarize the work done in the field of artificial glycosidases, oxidases, epoxidases, and esterases, as well...

  17. Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase: an antiviral prodrug activating enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tehler, Ulrika; Nelson, Cara H; Peterson, Larryn W; Provoda, Chester J; Hilfinger, John M; Lee, Kyung-Dall; McKenna, Charles E; Amidon, Gordon L

    2010-03-01

    Cidofovir (HPMPC) is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, currently used to treat AIDS-related human cytomegalovirus retinitis. Cidofovir has recognized therapeutic potential for orthopox virus infections, although its use is hampered by its inherent low oral bioavailability. Val-Ser-cyclic HPMPC (Val-Ser-cHPMPC) is a promising peptide prodrug which has previously been shown by us to improve the permeability and bioavailability of the parent compound in rodent models (Eriksson et al., 2008. Molecular Pharmaceutics 5, 598-609). Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase was partially purified from Caco-2 cell homogenates and identified as a prodrug activating enzyme for Val-Ser-cHPMPC. The prodrug activation process initially involves an enzymatic step where the l-Valine residue is removed by puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase, a step that is bestatin-sensitive. Subsequent chemical hydrolysis results in the generation of cHPMPC. A recombinant puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase was generated and its substrate specificity investigated. The k(cat) for Val-pNA was significantly lower than that for Ala-pNA, suggesting that some amino acids are preferred over others. Furthermore, the three-fold higher k(cat) for Val-Ser-cHPMPC as compared to Val-pNA suggests that the leaving group may play an important role in determining hydrolytic activity. In addition to its ability to hydrolyze a variety of substrates, these observations strongly suggest that puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase is an important enzyme for activating Val-Ser-cHPMPC in vivo. Taken together, our data suggest that puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase makes an attractive target for future prodrug design.

  18. A rigidifying salt-bridge favors the activity of thermophilic enzyme at high temperatures at the expense of low-temperature activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Sonia Y; Yeung, Rachel C Y; Yu, Tsz-Ha; Sze, Kong-Hung; Wong, Kam-Bo

    2011-03-01

    Thermophilic enzymes are often less active than their mesophilic homologues at low temperatures. One hypothesis to explain this observation is that the extra stabilizing interactions increase the rigidity of thermophilic enzymes and hence reduce their activity. Here we employed a thermophilic acylphosphatase from Pyrococcus horikoshii and its homologous mesophilic acylphosphatase from human as a model to study how local rigidity of an active-site residue affects the enzymatic activity. Acylphosphatases have a unique structural feature that its conserved active-site arginine residue forms a salt-bridge with the C-terminal carboxyl group only in thermophilic acylphosphatases, but not in mesophilic acylphosphatases. We perturbed the local rigidity of this active-site residue by removing the salt-bridge in the thermophilic acylphosphatase and by introducing the salt-bridge in the mesophilic homologue. The mutagenesis design was confirmed by x-ray crystallography. Removing the salt-bridge in the thermophilic enzyme lowered the activation energy that decreased the activation enthalpy and entropy. Conversely, the introduction of the salt-bridge to the mesophilic homologue increased the activation energy and resulted in increases in both activation enthalpy and entropy. Revealed by molecular dynamics simulations, the unrestrained arginine residue can populate more rotamer conformations, and the loss of this conformational freedom upon the formation of transition state justified the observed reduction in activation entropy. Our results support the conclusion that restricting the active-site flexibility entropically favors the enzymatic activity at high temperatures. However, the accompanying enthalpy-entropy compensation leads to a stronger temperature-dependency of the enzymatic activity, which explains the less active nature of the thermophilic enzymes at low temperatures.

  19. A rigidifying salt-bridge favors the activity of thermophilic enzyme at high temperatures at the expense of low-temperature activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Y Lam

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Thermophilic enzymes are often less active than their mesophilic homologues at low temperatures. One hypothesis to explain this observation is that the extra stabilizing interactions increase the rigidity of thermophilic enzymes and hence reduce their activity. Here we employed a thermophilic acylphosphatase from Pyrococcus horikoshii and its homologous mesophilic acylphosphatase from human as a model to study how local rigidity of an active-site residue affects the enzymatic activity.Acylphosphatases have a unique structural feature that its conserved active-site arginine residue forms a salt-bridge with the C-terminal carboxyl group only in thermophilic acylphosphatases, but not in mesophilic acylphosphatases. We perturbed the local rigidity of this active-site residue by removing the salt-bridge in the thermophilic acylphosphatase and by introducing the salt-bridge in the mesophilic homologue. The mutagenesis design was confirmed by x-ray crystallography. Removing the salt-bridge in the thermophilic enzyme lowered the activation energy that decreased the activation enthalpy and entropy. Conversely, the introduction of the salt-bridge to the mesophilic homologue increased the activation energy and resulted in increases in both activation enthalpy and entropy. Revealed by molecular dynamics simulations, the unrestrained arginine residue can populate more rotamer conformations, and the loss of this conformational freedom upon the formation of transition state justified the observed reduction in activation entropy.Our results support the conclusion that restricting the active-site flexibility entropically favors the enzymatic activity at high temperatures. However, the accompanying enthalpy-entropy compensation leads to a stronger temperature-dependency of the enzymatic activity, which explains the less active nature of the thermophilic enzymes at low temperatures.

  20. Markers of oxidative stress and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity in older men and women with differing physical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowiński, Rafał; Kozakiewicz, Mariusz; Kędziora-Kornatowska, Kornelia; Hübner-Woźniak, Elżbieta; Kędziora, Józef

    2013-11-01

    The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between markers of oxidative stress and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and physical activity in older men and women. The present study included 481 participants (233 men and 248 women) in the age group 65-69 years (127 men and 125 women) and in the age group 90 years and over (106 men and 123 women). The classification of respondents by physical activity was based on answers to the question if, in the past 12 months, they engaged in any pastimes which require physical activity. The systemic oxidative stress status was assessed by measuring plasma iso-PGF2α and protein carbonyl concentration as well as erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes activity, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR). The concentration of plasma iso-PGF2α and protein carbonyls (CP) was lower in groups of younger men and women compared to the respective older groups. In all examined groups, physical activity resulted in decrease of these oxidative stress markers and simultaneously caused adaptive increase in the erythrocyte SOD activity. Additionally, in active younger men CAT, GPx, and GR activities were higher than in sedentary ones. In conclusion, oxidative stress increase is age-related, but physical activity can reduce oxidative stress markers and induce adaptive increase in the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity, especially SOD, even in old and very old men and women. © 2013.

  1. [Study on soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass carbon in greenland irrigated with reclaimed water].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Neng; Hou, Zhen-An; Chen, Wei-Ping; Jiao, Wen-Tao; Peng, Chi; Liu, Wen

    2012-12-01

    The physicochemical properties of soils might be changed under the long-term reclaimed water irrigation. Its effects on soil biological activities have received great attentions. We collected surface soil samples from urban green spaces and suburban farmlands of Beijing. Soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), five types of soil enzyme activities (urease, alkaline phosphatase, invertase, dehydrogenase and catalase) and physicochemical indicators in soils were measured subsequently. SMBC and enzyme activities from green land soils irrigated with reclaimed water were higher than that of control treatments using drinking water, but the difference is not significant in farmland. The SMBC increased by 60.1% and 14.2% than those control treatments in 0-20 cm soil layer of green land and farmland, respectively. Compared with their respective controls, the activities of enzymes in 0-20 cm soil layer of green land and farmland were enhanced by an average of 36.7% and 7.4%, respectively. Investigation of SMBC and enzyme activities decreased with increasing of soil depth. Significantly difference was found between 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layer in green land. Soil biological activities were improved with long-term reclaimed water irrigation in Beijing.

  2. Spatial localization of the first and last enzymes effectively connects active metabolic pathways in bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Pablo; Cecchi, Guillermo; Stolovitzky, Gustavo

    2014-12-14

    Although much is understood about the enzymatic cascades that underlie cellular biosynthesis, comparatively little is known about the rules that determine their cellular organization. We performed a detailed analysis of the localization of E.coli GFP-tagged enzymes for cells growing exponentially. We found that out of 857 globular enzymes, at least 219 have a discrete punctuate localization in the cytoplasm and catalyze the first or the last reaction in 60% of biosynthetic pathways. A graph-theoretic analysis of E.coli's metabolic network shows that localized enzymes, in contrast to non-localized ones, form a tree-like hierarchical structure, have a higher within-group connectivity, and are traversed by a higher number of feed-forward and feedback loops than their non-localized counterparts. A Gene Ontology analysis of these enzymes reveals an enrichment of terms related to essential metabolic functions in growing cells. Given that these findings suggest a distinct metabolic role for localization, we studied the dynamics of cellular localization of the cell wall synthesizing enzymes in B. subtilis and found that enzymes localize during exponential growth but not during stationary growth. We conclude that active biochemical pathways inside the cytoplasm are organized spatially following a rule where their first or their last enzymes localize to effectively connect the different active pathways and thus could reflect the activity state of the cell's metabolic network.

  3. Enhancing the Bioconversion of Winery and Olive Mill Waste Mixtures into Lignocellulolytic Enzymes and Animal Feed by Aspergillus uvarum Using a Packed-Bed Bioreactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salgado, José Manuel; Abrunhosa, Luís; Venâncio, Armando; Domínguez, José Manuel; Belo, Isabel

    2015-10-28

    Wineries and olive oil industries are dominant agro-industrial activities in southern European regions. Olive pomace, exhausted grape marc, and vine shoot trimmings are lignocellulosic residues generated by these industries, which could be valued biotechnologically. In the present work these residues were used as substrate to produce cellulases and xylanases through solid-state fermentation using Aspergillus uvarum MUM 08.01. For that, two factorial designs (3(2)) were first planned to optimize substrate composition, temperature, and initial moisture level. Subsequently, the kinectics of cellulolytic enzyme production, fungal growth, and fermented solid were characterized. Finally, the process was performed in a packed-bed bioreactor. The results showed that cellulase activity improved with the optimization processes, reaching 33.56 U/g, and with the packed-bed bioreactor aeration of 0.2 L/min, reaching 38.51 U/g. The composition of fermented solids indicated their potential use for animal feed because cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and phenolic compounds were partially degraded 28.08, 10.78, 13.3, and 28.32%, respectively, crude protein was increased from 8.47 to 17.08%, and the mineral contents meet the requirements of main livestock.

  4. Digestive enzyme activities and gastrointestinal fermentation in wood-eating catfishes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    German, Donovan P; Bittong, Rosalie A

    2009-11-01

    To determine what capabilities wood-eating and detritivorous catfishes have for the digestion of refractory polysaccharides with the aid of an endosymbiotic microbial community, the pH, redox potentials, concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and the activity levels of 14 digestive enzymes were measured along the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of three wood-eating taxa (Panaque cf. nigrolineatus "Marañon", Panaque nocturnus, and Hypostomus pyrineusi) and one detritivorous species (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus) from the family Loricariidae. Negative redox potentials (-600 mV) were observed in the intestinal fluids of the fish, suggesting that fermentative digestion was possible. However, SCFA concentrations were low (<3 mM in any intestinal region), indicating that little GI fermentation occurs in the fishes' GI tracts. Cellulase and xylanase activities were low (<0.03 U g(-1)), and generally decreased distally in the intestine, whereas amylolytic and laminarinase activities were five and two orders of magnitude greater, respectively, than cellulase and xylanase activities, suggesting that the fish more readily digest soluble polysaccharides. Furthermore, the Michaelis-Menten constants (K(m)) of the fishes' beta-glucosidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase enzymes were significantly lower than the K(m) values of microbial enzymes ingested with their food, further suggesting that the fish efficiently digest soluble components of their detrital diet rather than refractory polysaccharides. Coupled with rapid gut transit and poor cellulose digestibility, the wood-eating catfishes appear to be detritivores reliant on endogenous digestive mechanisms, as are other loricariid catfishes. This stands in contrast to truly "xylivorous" taxa (e.g., beavers, termites), which are reliant on an endosymbiotic community of microorganisms to digest refractory polysaccharides.

  5. The Effects of Fenarimol and Methyl Parathion on Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Activity in Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferda ARI

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Fenarimol and methyl parathion are pesticides that have been used in agriculture for several years. These pesticides have significant effects on environmental and human health. Therefore, we investigated the effects of methyl parathion and fenarimol on glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49 enzyme activity in rats. The glucose 6- phosphate dehydrogenase is the first enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway and it is important in detoxifying reactions by NADPH generated. In this study, wistar albino rats administrated with methyl parathion (7 mg kg–1 and fenarimol (200 mg kg−1 by intraperitoneally for different periods (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 72 h. The glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme activity was assayed in liver, kidney, brain, and small intestine in male and female rats. The exposure of fenarimol and methyl parathion caused increase of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme activity in rat tissues, especially at last periods. We suggest that this increment of enzyme activity may be the reason of toxic effects of fenarimol and methyl parathion.

  6. Controlled immobilisation of active enzymes on the cowpea mosaic virus capsid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aljabali, Alaa A. A.; Barclay, J. Elaine; Steinmetz, Nicole F.; Lomonossoff, George P.; Evans, David J.

    2012-08-01

    Immobilisation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOX) via covalent attachment of modified enzyme carbohydrate to the exterior of the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) capsid gave high retention of enzymatic activity. The number of enzymes bound per virus was determined to be about eleven for HRP and 2-3 for GOX. This illustrates that relatively large biomacromolecules can be readily coupled to the virus surface using simple conjugation strategies. Virus-biomacromolecule hybrids have great potential for uses in catalysis, diagnostic assays or biosensors.Immobilisation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOX) via covalent attachment of modified enzyme carbohydrate to the exterior of the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) capsid gave high retention of enzymatic activity. The number of enzymes bound per virus was determined to be about eleven for HRP and 2-3 for GOX. This illustrates that relatively large biomacromolecules can be readily coupled to the virus surface using simple conjugation strategies. Virus-biomacromolecule hybrids have great potential for uses in catalysis, diagnostic assays or biosensors. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Alternative conjugation strategies, agarose gel electrophoresis of CPMV and CPMV-HRP conjugates, UV-vis spectrum of HRP-ADHCPMV, agarose gel electrophoresis of GOX-ADHCPMV particles and corresponding TEM image, calibration curves for HRP-ADHCPMV and GOX-ADHCPMV, DLS data for GOX-ADHCPMV are made available. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr31485a

  7. Changes in activities of tissues enzymes in rats administered Ficus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study evaluates the effects of methanolic extract of Ficus exasperata leaf on the ... measuring the levels of some key enzymes in ... powder using an electrical blender. .... of the cells at these doses. .... activities and acute toxicity of a stem.

  8. Survival of Bemisia tabaci and activity of plant defense-related enzymes in genotypes of Capsicum annuum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Latournerie-Moreno

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889 is a major plant pest of horticultural crops from the families Solanaceae, Fabaceae and Cucurbitaceae in Neotropical areas. The exploration of host plant resistance and their biochemical mechanisms offers an excellent alternative to better understand factors affecting the interaction between phytophagous insect and host plant. We evaluated the survival of B. tabaci in landrace genotypes of Capsicum annuum L., and the activity of plant defense-related enzymes (chitinase, polyphenoloxidase, and peroxidase. The landrace genotypes Amaxito, Tabaquero, and Simojovel showed resistance to B. tabaci, as we observed more than 50% nymphal mortality, while in the commercial susceptible genotype Jalapeño mortality of B. tabaci nymphs was not higher than 20%. The activities of plant defense-related enzymes were significantly different among pepper genotypes (P < 0.05. Basal activities of chitinase, polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase were significantly lower or equal in landrace genotypes than that of the commercial genotype Jalapeño. The activity of plant enzymes was differential among pepper genotypes (P < 0.05. For example, the activity of chitinase enzyme generally was higher in non-infested plants with B. tabaci than those infested. Instead polyphenoloxidase ('Amaxito' and 'Simojovel' and peroxidase enzymes activities ('Tabaquero' increased in infested plants (P < 0.05. We conclude that basal activities of plant defense-related enzymes could be act through other mechanism plant induction, since plant defense-related enzymes showed a different induction response to B. tabaci. We underlined the role of polyphenoloxidase as plant defense in the pepper genotype Simojovel related to B. tabaci.

  9. Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipolytic enzymes as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belinda Brust

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: New diagnosis tests are urgently needed to address the global tuberculosis (TB burden and to improve control programs especially in resource-limited settings. An effective in vitro diagnostic of TB based on serological methods would be regarded as an attractive progress because immunoassays are simple, rapid, inexpensive, and may offer the possibility to detect cases missed by standard sputum smear microscopy. However, currently available serology tests for TB are highly variable in sensitivity and specificity. Lipolytic enzymes have recently emerged as key factors in lipid metabolization during dormancy and/or exit of the non-replicating growth phase, a prerequisite step of TB reactivation. The focus of this study was to analyze and compare the potential of four Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipolytic enzymes (LipY, Rv0183, Rv1984c and Rv3452 as new markers in the serodiagnosis of active TB. METHODS: Recombinant proteins were produced and used in optimized ELISA aimed to detect IgG and IgM serum antibodies against the four lipolytic enzymes. The capacity of the assays to identify infection was evaluated in patients with either active TB or latent TB and compared with two distinct control groups consisting of BCG-vaccinated blood donors and hospitalized non-TB individuals. RESULTS: A robust humoral response was detected in patients with active TB whereas antibodies against lipolytic enzymes were infrequently detected in either uninfected groups or in subjects with latent infection. High specifity levels, ranging from 93.9% to 97.5%, were obtained for all four antigens with sensitivity values ranging from 73.4% to 90.5%, with Rv3452 displaying the highest performances. Patients with active TB usually exhibited strong IgG responses but poor IgM responses. CONCLUSION: These results clearly indicate that the lipolytic enzymes tested are strongly immunogenic allowing to distinguish active from latent TB infections. They appear as potent

  10. Relief of autoinhibition by conformational switch explains enzyme activation by a catalytically dead paralog

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Volkov, Oleg A.; Kinch, Lisa; Ariagno, Carson; Deng, Xiaoyi; Zhong, Shihua; Grishin, Nick; Tomchick, Diana R.; Chen, Zhe; Phillips, Margaret A.

    2016-12-15

    Catalytically inactive enzyme paralogs occur in many genomes. Some regulate their active counterparts but the structural principles of this regulation remain largely unknown. We report X-ray structures ofTrypanosoma brucei S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase alone and in functional complex with its catalytically dead paralogous partner, prozyme. We show monomericTbAdoMetDC is inactive because of autoinhibition by its N-terminal sequence. Heterodimerization with prozyme displaces this sequence from the active site through a complex mechanism involving acis-to-transproline isomerization, reorganization of a β-sheet, and insertion of the N-terminal α-helix into the heterodimer interface, leading to enzyme activation. We propose that the evolution of this intricate regulatory mechanism was facilitated by the acquisition of the dimerization domain, a single step that can in principle account for the divergence of regulatory schemes in the AdoMetDC enzyme family. These studies elucidate an allosteric mechanism in an enzyme and a plausible scheme by which such complex cooperativity evolved.

  11. Enzyme activity and reserve mobilization during Macaw palm ( Acrocomia aculeata seed germination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Monteze Bicalho

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Reserve mobilization in seeds occurs after visible germination, which is marked by the protrusion of the radicle or cotyledonary petiole, as in species of Arecaceae. Acrocomia aculeata (macaw palm, usually produces hard seeds whose endosperm has mannan-rich cell walls. We investigated the composition of storage compounds in macaw palm seed and the roles of two enzymes (endo-β-mannanase, α-galactosidase during and after germination. The seeds were firstly submitted to pre-established protocol to overcome dormancy and promote germination. Enzyme activity in both embryo and endosperm were assayed from the initiation of germinative activities until leaf sheath appearance, and the status of seed structures and reserve compounds were evaluated. Protein content of the embryo decreased with the initiation of imbibition while the lipid content began decreasing six days after removal of the operculum. Increases in enzyme activity and starch content were both observed after visible germination. We suggest that endo-β-mannanase and α-galactosidase become active immediately at germination, facilitating haustorium expansion and providing carbohydrates for initial seedling development. Protein is the first storage compound mobilized during early imbibition, and the observed increase in the starch content of the haustorium was related to lipid degradation in that organ and mannan degradation in the adjacent endosperm.

  12. Production of endoglucanase by the native strains of Streptomyces isolates in submerged fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Chellapandi

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Cellulase is a complex enzyme system, commercially produced by filamentous fungi under solid-state and submerged cultivation. It has wide applicability in textile, food and beverage industry for effective saccharification process. In this study, cellulolytic enzyme activity, particularly endoglucanase of 26 Streptomyces strains isolated from garden soil was examined, including two isolates selected on the basis of potential cellulolytic activity on Bennett's agar medium. To enhance the endoglucanase formation in broth culture, different conditions including carbon and nitrogen sources, and growth conditions were tested. The maximum endoglucanase activity (11.25-11.90 U/mL was achieved within 72-88 h in fermentation medium containing Tween-80, followed by phosphate sources. Both cellulolytic Streptomyces isolates gave almost equal quantity of enzyme in all trials. However the effect of medium ingredients on endoglucanase induction diverged with strains in some extent.A celulase é um sistema enzimático complexo, produzido comercialmente a partir de fungos filamentosos através de cultivo em estádio sólido e submerso. Tem uma grande aplicação na indústria têxtil e de alimentos e bebidas no processo de sacarificação. Nesse estudo, examinou-se a atividade celulolítica, especialmente de englucanase, de 26 cepas de Streptomyces isoladas de solo, incluindo duas cepas selecionadas por sua atividade celulolítica no ágar Bennett. Para estimular a produção de englucanase em meio de cultura, diferentes condições de cultivo, incluindo fonte de carbono e nitrogênio e condições de crescimento, foram avaliadas. A atividade máxima de glucanase (11,25 a 11,90 U/mL foi obtida em 72-88h em meio de cultura contendo Tween-80, seguido por fontes de fosfato. Ambas as cepas celulolíticas de Streptomyces produziram quase a mesma quantidade de enzima em todos os experimentos. Entretanto, o efeito dos ingredientes do meio na indução da glucanase

  13. Soil Enzyme Activities in Pinus tabuliformis (Carriére Plantations in Northern China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weiwei Wang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Changes in forest stand structure may alter the activity of invertase, urease, catalase and phenol oxidase after thinning Pinus tabuliformis (Carriére plantations in Yanqing County of Beijing, China. We examined changes in these soil enzymes as influenced by time since thinning (24, 32, and 40 years since thinning for 3 seasons (spring, summer and autumn following harvesting at two depths in the mineral soil (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm. Invertase and urease increased significantly with time since thinning. Catalase activity was highest in the 24-year-old stand and there were no statistically significant differences between the 32- and 40-year-old stands. In addition, maximum invertase, urease, catalase, and phenol oxidase activities occurred during the summer; minimum activities occurred in autumn. Invertase and urease were positively correlated with each other, as were catalase and phenol oxidase. Most soil enzyme activity was higher in the 0–10 cm layer than at the 10–20 cm depth. As time from thinning increased, differences among soil depth became less significant. These results suggest that seasonal changes of these enzymes have different roles, as the time since thinning and thinning treatments may have both short- and long-term impacts on soil microbial activity.

  14. Metagenomics as a Tool for Enzyme Discovery: Hydrolytic Enzymes from Marine-Related Metagenomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popovic, Ana; Tchigvintsev, Anatoly; Tran, Hai; Chernikova, Tatyana N; Golyshina, Olga V; Yakimov, Michail M; Golyshin, Peter N; Yakunin, Alexander F

    2015-01-01

    This chapter discusses metagenomics and its application for enzyme discovery, with a focus on hydrolytic enzymes from marine metagenomic libraries. With less than one percent of culturable microorganisms in the environment, metagenomics, or the collective study of community genetics, has opened up a rich pool of uncharacterized metabolic pathways, enzymes, and adaptations. This great untapped pool of genes provides the particularly exciting potential to mine for new biochemical activities or novel enzymes with activities tailored to peculiar sets of environmental conditions. Metagenomes also represent a huge reservoir of novel enzymes for applications in biocatalysis, biofuels, and bioremediation. Here we present the results of enzyme discovery for four enzyme activities, of particular industrial or environmental interest, including esterase/lipase, glycosyl hydrolase, protease and dehalogenase.

  15. Direct comparison of enzyme histochemical and immunohistochemical methods to localize an enzyme

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.

    2002-01-01

    Immunohistochemical localization of enzymes is compared directly with localization of enzyme activity with (catalytic) enzyme histochemical methods. The two approaches demonstrate principally different aspects of an enzyme. The immunohistochemical method localizes the enzyme protein whether it is

  16. Activity of trypsin-like enzymes and gelatinases in rats with doxorubicin cardiomyopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iu. А. Gordiienko

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Activity of trypsin-like enzymes (ATLE and gelatinases A and B were studied in the blood plasma and extracts from cardiac muscle, cerebral cortex and cerebellum of rats with cardiomyopathy caused by anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin against the background of preventive application of corvitin and α-ketoglutarate. ATLE significantly increased in blood plasma and extracts from cerebral cortex but decreased in extracts from cardiac muscle and cerebellum in doxorubicin cardiomyopathy (DCMP. In addition, a significant increase of activity of both gelatinases in plasma and tissue extracts was observed. Preventive administration of corvitin and α-ketoglutarate resulted in differently directed changes of activity of the above mentioned enzymes in heart and brain tissues. Obtained data confirm the hypothesis about activation of proteolysis under the influence of anthracycline antibiotics and testify to selective effect of corvitin and α-ketoglutarate on ATLE and gelatinases.

  17. Activity of trypsin-like enzymes and gelatinases in rats with doxorubicin cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordiienko, Iu A; Babets, Ya V; Kulinich, A O; Shevtsova, A I; Ushakova, G O

    2014-01-01

    Activity of trypsin-like enzymes (ATLE) and gelatinases A and B were studied in the blood plasma and extracts from cardiac muscle, cerebral cortex and cerebellum of rats with cardiomyopathy caused by anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin against the background of preventive application of corvitin and α-ketoglutarate. ATLE significantly increased in blood plasma and extracts from cerebral cortex but decreased in extracts from cardiac muscle and cerebellum in doxorubicin cardiomyopathy (DCMP). In addition, a significant increase of activity of both gelatinases in plasma and tissue extracts was observed. Preventive administration of corvitin and α-ketoglutarate resulted in differently directed changes of activity of the above mentioned enzymes in heart and brain tissues. Obtained data confirm the hypothesis about activation of proteolysis under the influence of anthracycline antibiotics and testify to selective effect of corvitin and α-ketoglutarate on ATLE and gelatinases.

  18. Effects of culture conditions on monosaccharide composition of Ganoderma lucidum exopolysaccharide and on activities of related enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Lin; Qiao, Shuangkui; Xu, Zhenghong; Guan, Feng; Ding, Zhongyang; Gu, Zhenghua; Zhang, Liang; Shi, Guiyang

    2015-11-20

    We investigated the relationship between monosaccharide composition of Ganoderma lucidum exopolysaccharide (EPS) and activities of EPS synthesis enzymes under various culture temperatures and initial pH values. The mole percentages of three major EPS monosaccharides, glucose, galactose and mannose, varied depending on culture conditions and the resulting EPS displayed differing anti-tumor activities. In nine tested enzymes, higher enzyme activities were correlated with higher temperature and lower initial pH. Altered mole percentages of galactose and mannose under various culture conditions were associated with activities of α-phosphoglucomutase (PGM) and phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), respectively, and that of mannose was also associated with phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) activity only under various pH. Our findings suggest that mole percentages of G. lucidum EPS monosaccharides can be manipulated by changes of culture conditions that affect enzyme activities, and that novel fermentation strategies based on this approach may enhance production and biological activity of EPS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Post-cold-storage conditioning time affects soil denitrifying enzyme activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chirinda, Ngonidzashe; Olesen, Jørgen Eivind; Porter, John Roy

    2011-01-01

    Soil denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) is often assessed after cold storage. Previous studies using the short-term acetylene inhibition method have not considered conditioning time (post-cold-storage warm-up time prior to soil analysis) as a factor influencing results. We observed fluctuations...

  20. Dietary effects of marine food intake on intestinal and hepatic enzyme activities in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, M; Caride, B; Lamas, A; Taboada, C

    2001-03-01

    Dietary effects of two diets high in protein from two marine species (Haliotis tuberculata and Anemonia viridis) as compared to a high-quality patron protein such as casein (or casein supplemented with olive oil) on intestinal and hepatic enzymes were studied. After 23 days, the two marine species as diet compared to casein increased the disaccharidase and alkaline phosphatase activities. Feeding Haliotis tuberculata meal produced a decrease on intestinal leucine aminopeptidase activity. The hepatic gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity decreased slightly in animals fed Haliotis tuberculata meal. Supplementation of casein with olive oil tended to decrease the intestinal and hepatic enzyme activity.

  1. Effect of bleaching on mercury release from amalgam fillings and antioxidant enzyme activities: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cakir, Filiz Yalcin; Ergin, Esra; Gurgan, Sevil; Sabuncuoglu, Suna; Arpa, Cigdem Sahin; Tokgoz, İlknur; Ozgunes, Hilal; Kiremitci, Arlin

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this pilot clinical study was to determine the mercury release from amalgam fillings and antioxidant enzyme activities (Superoxide Dismutase [SOD] and Catalase[CAT] ) in body fluids after exposure to two different vital tooth bleaching systems. Twenty eight subjects with an average age of 25.6 years (18-41) having at least two but not more than four Class II amalgam fillings on each quadrant arch in the mouth participated in the study. Baseline concentrations of mercury levels in whole blood, urine, and saliva were measured by a Vapor Generation Accessory connected to an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. Erythrocyte enzymes, SOD, and CAT activities in blood were determined kinetically. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of 14 volunteers. Group 1 was treated with an at-home bleaching system (Opalescence PF 35% Carbamide Peroxide, Ultradent), and Group 2 was treated with a chemically activated office bleaching system (Opalescence Xtra Boost 38% Hydrogen Peroxide, Ultradent) according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Twenty-four hours after bleaching treatments, concentrations of mercury and enzymes were remeasured. There were no significant differences on mercury levels in blood, urine, and saliva before and after bleaching treatments (p > 0.05). No differences were also found in the level of antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD and CAT) before and after treatments (p > 0.05). Mercury release did not affect the enzyme activities (p > 0.05). Bleaching treatments either office or home did not affect the amount of mercury released from amalgam fillings in blood, urine, and saliva and the antioxidant-enzyme activities in blood. Bleaching treatments with the systems tested in this pilot study have no deleterious effect on the mercury release from amalgam fillings and antioxidant enzymes in body fluids. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Complete genome of the cellulolytic thermophile Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B provides insights into its ecophysiological and evolutionary adaptations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Gary [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Detter, Chris [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Bruce, David [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Challacome, Jean F [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Brettin, Thomas S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Barabote, Ravi D [UC DAVIS; Leu, David [UC DAVIS; Normand, Philippe [CNRS, UNIV LYON; Necsula, Anamaria [CNRS, UNIV LYON; Daubin, Vincent [CNRS, UNIV LYON; Medigue, Claudine [CNRS/GENOSCOPE; Adney, William S [NREL; Xu, Xin C [UC DAVIS; Lapidus, Alla [DOE JOINT GENOME INST.; Pujic, Pierre [CNRS, UNIV LYON; Richardson, Paul [DOE JOINT GENOME INST; Berry, Alison M [UC DAVIS

    2008-01-01

    We present here the complete 2.4 MB genome of the actinobacterial thermophile, Acidothermus cellulolyticus lIB, that surprisingly reveals thermophilic amino acid usage in only the cytosolic subproteome rather than its whole proteome. Thermophilic amino acid usage in the partial proteome implies a recent, ongoing evolution of the A. cellulolyticus genome since its divergence about 200-250 million years ago from its closest phylogenetic neighbor Frankia, a mesophilic plant symbiont. Differential amino acid usage in the predicted subproteomes of A. cellulolyticus likely reflects a stepwise evolutionary process of modern thermophiles in general. An unusual occurrence of higher G+C in the non-coding DNA than in the transcribed genome reinforces a late evolution from a higher G+C common ancestor. Comparative analyses of the A. cellulolyticus genome with those of Frankia and other closely-related actinobacteria revealed that A. cellulolyticus genes exhibit reciprocal purine preferences at the first and third codon positions, perhaps reflecting a subtle preference for the dinucleotide AG in its mRNAs, a possible adaptation to a thermophilic environment. Other interesting features in the genome of this cellulolytic, hot-springs dwelling prokaryote reveal streamlining for adaptation to its specialized ecological niche. These include a low occurrence of pseudogenes or mobile genetic elements, a flagellar gene complement previously unknown in this organism, and presence of laterally-acquired genomic islands of likely ecophysiological value. New glycoside hydrolases relevant for lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction were identified in the genome, indicating a diverse biomass-degrading enzyme repertoire several-fold greater than previously characterized, and significantly elevating the industrial value of this organism.

  3. Complete genome of the cellulolytic thermophile Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B provides insights into its ecophysiological and evolutionary adaptations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Gary [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Detter, John C [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Bruce, David C [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Challacombe, Jean F [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Brettin, Thomas S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Necsulea, Anamaria [UNIV LYON; Daubin, Vincent [UNIV LYON; Medigue, Claudine [GENOSCOPE; Adney, William S [NREL; Xu, Xin C [UC DAVIS; Lapidus, Alla [JGI; Pujic, Pierre [UNIV LYON; Berry, Alison M [UC DAVIS; Barabote, Ravi D [UC DAVIS; Leu, David [UC DAVIS; Normand, Phillipe [UNIV LYON

    2009-01-01

    We present here the complete 2.4 MB genome of the actinobacterial thermophile, Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B, that surprisingly reveals thermophilic amino acid usage in only the cytosolic subproteome rather than its whole proteome. Thermophilic amino acid usage in the partial proteome implies a recent, ongoing evolution of the A. cellulolyticus genome since its divergence about 200-250 million years ago from its closest phylogenetic neighbor Frankia, a mesophilic plant symbiont. Differential amino acid usage in the predicted subproteomes of A. cellulolyticus likely reflects a stepwise evolutionary process of modern thermophiles in general. An unusual occurrence of higher G+C in the non-coding DNA than in the transcribed genome reinforces a late evolution from a higher G+C common ancestor. Comparative analyses of the A. cellulolyticus genome with those of Frankia and other closely-related actinobacteria revealed that A. cellulolyticus genes exhibit reciprocal purine preferences at the first and third codon positions, perhaps reflecting a subtle preference for the dinucleotide AG in its mRNAs, a possible adaptation to a thermophilic environment. Other interesting features in the genome of this cellulolytic, hot-springs dwelling prokaryote reveal streamlining for adaptation to its specialized ecological niche. These include a low occurrence of pseudo genes or mobile genetic elements, a flagellar gene complement previously unknown in this organism, and presence of laterally-acquired genomic islands of likely ecophysiological value. New glycoside hydrolases relevant for lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction were identified in the genome, indicating a diverse biomass-degrading enzyme repertoire several-fold greater than previously characterized, and significantly elevating the industrial value of this organism.

  4. A small-molecule inhibitor of the ubiquitin activating enzyme for cancer treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyer, Marc L; Milhollen, Michael A; Ciavarri, Jeff; Fleming, Paul; Traore, Tary; Sappal, Darshan; Huck, Jessica; Shi, Judy; Gavin, James; Brownell, Jim; Yang, Yu; Stringer, Bradley; Griffin, Robert; Bruzzese, Frank; Soucy, Teresa; Duffy, Jennifer; Rabino, Claudia; Riceberg, Jessica; Hoar, Kara; Lublinsky, Anya; Menon, Saurabh; Sintchak, Michael; Bump, Nancy; Pulukuri, Sai M; Langston, Steve; Tirrell, Stephen; Kuranda, Mike; Veiby, Petter; Newcomb, John; Li, Ping; Wu, Jing Tao; Powe, Josh; Dick, Lawrence R; Greenspan, Paul; Galvin, Katherine; Manfredi, Mark; Claiborne, Chris; Amidon, Benjamin S; Bence, Neil F

    2018-02-01

    The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) comprises a network of enzymes that is responsible for maintaining cellular protein homeostasis. The therapeutic potential of this pathway has been validated by the clinical successes of a number of UPS modulators, including proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs). Here we identified TAK-243 (formerly known as MLN7243) as a potent, mechanism-based small-molecule inhibitor of the ubiquitin activating enzyme (UAE), the primary mammalian E1 enzyme that regulates the ubiquitin conjugation cascade. TAK-243 treatment caused depletion of cellular ubiquitin conjugates, resulting in disruption of signaling events, induction of proteotoxic stress, and impairment of cell cycle progression and DNA damage repair pathways. TAK-243 treatment caused death of cancer cells and, in primary human xenograft studies, demonstrated antitumor activity at tolerated doses. Due to its specificity and potency, TAK-243 allows for interrogation of ubiquitin biology and for assessment of UAE inhibition as a new approach for cancer treatment.

  5. Profiling the orphan enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    The emergence of Next Generation Sequencing generates an incredible amount of sequence and great potential for new enzyme discovery. Despite this huge amount of data and the profusion of bioinformatic methods for function prediction, a large part of known enzyme activities is still lacking an associated protein sequence. These particular activities are called “orphan enzymes”. The present review proposes an update of previous surveys on orphan enzymes by mining the current content of public databases. While the percentage of orphan enzyme activities has decreased from 38% to 22% in ten years, there are still more than 1,000 orphans among the 5,000 entries of the Enzyme Commission (EC) classification. Taking into account all the reactions present in metabolic databases, this proportion dramatically increases to reach nearly 50% of orphans and many of them are not associated to a known pathway. We extended our survey to “local orphan enzymes” that are activities which have no representative sequence in a given clade, but have at least one in organisms belonging to other clades. We observe an important bias in Archaea and find that in general more than 30% of the EC activities have incomplete sequence information in at least one superkingdom. To estimate if candidate proteins for local orphans could be retrieved by homology search, we applied a simple strategy based on the PRIAM software and noticed that candidates may be proposed for an important fraction of local orphan enzymes. Finally, by studying relation between protein domains and catalyzed activities, it appears that newly discovered enzymes are mostly associated with already known enzyme domains. Thus, the exploration of the promiscuity and the multifunctional aspect of known enzyme families may solve part of the orphan enzyme issue. We conclude this review with a presentation of recent initiatives in finding proteins for orphan enzymes and in extending the enzyme world by the discovery of new

  6. Immobilized enzymes: understanding enzyme - surface interactions at the molecular level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoarau, Marie; Badieyan, Somayesadat; Marsh, E Neil G

    2017-11-22

    Enzymes immobilized on solid supports have important and industrial and medical applications. However, their uses are limited by the significant reductions in activity and stability that often accompany the immobilization process. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of the molecular level interactions between proteins and supporting surfaces that contribute to changes in stability and activity. This understanding has been facilitated by the application of various surface-sensitive spectroscopic techniques that allow the structure and orientation of enzymes at the solid/liquid interface to be probed, often with monolayer sensitivity. An appreciation of the molecular interactions between enzyme and surface support has allowed the surface chemistry and method of enzyme attachement to be fine-tuned such that activity and stability can be greatly enhanced. These advances suggest that a much wider variety of enzymes may eventually be amenable to immobilization as green catalysts.

  7. The diversity and specificity of the extracellular proteome in the cellulolytic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is driven by the nature of the cellulosic growth substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poudel, Suresh; Giannone, Richard J; Basen, Mirko; Nookaew, Intawat; Poole, Farris L; Kelly, Robert M; Adams, Michael W W; Hettich, Robert L

    2018-01-01

    Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is a thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium that efficiently deconstructs lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, which subsequently can be fermented into alcohols, such as ethanol, and other products. Deconstruction of complex substrates by C. bescii involves a myriad of highly abundant, substrate-specific extracellular solute binding proteins (ESBPs) and carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) containing carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). Mass spectrometry-based proteomics was employed to investigate how these substrate recognition proteins and enzymes vary as a function of lignocellulosic substrates. Proteomic analysis revealed several key extracellular proteins that respond specifically to either C5 or C6 mono- and polysaccharides. These include proteins of unknown functions (PUFs), ESBPs, and CAZymes. ESBPs that were previously shown to interact more efficiently with hemicellulose and pectin were detected in high abundance during growth on complex C5 substrates, such as switchgrass and xylan. Some proteins, such as Athe_0614 and Athe_2368, whose functions are not well defined were predicted to be involved in xylan utilization and ABC transport and were significantly more abundant in complex and C5 substrates, respectively. The proteins encoded by the entire glucan degradation locus (GDL; Athe_1857, 1859, 1860, 1865, 1867, and 1866) were highly abundant under all growth conditions, particularly when C. bescii was grown on cellobiose, switchgrass, or xylan. In contrast, the glycoside hydrolases Athe_0609 (Pullulanase) and 0610, which both possess CBM20 and a starch binding domain, appear preferential to C5/complex substrate deconstruction. Some PUFs, such as Athe_2463 and 2464, were detected as highly abundant when grown on C5 substrates (xylan and xylose), also suggesting C5-substrate specificity. This study reveals the protein membership of the C. bescii secretome and demonstrates its plasticity based on the complexity (mono

  8. Root carbon inputs to the rhizosphere stimulate extracellular enzyme activity and increase nitrogen availability in temperate forest soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brzostek, E. R.; Phillips, R.; Dragoni, D.; Drake, J. E.; Finzi, A. C.

    2011-12-01

    The mobilization of nitrogen (N) from soil organic matter in temperate forest soils is controlled by the microbial production and activity of extracellular enzymes. The exudation of carbon (C) by tree roots into the rhizosphere may subsidize the microbial production of extracellular enzymes in the rhizosphere and increase the access of roots to N. The objective of this research was to investigate whether rates of root exudation and the resulting stimulation of extracellular enzyme activity in the rhizosphere (i.e., rhizosphere effect) differs between tree species that form associations with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This research was conducted at two temperate forest sites, the Harvard Forest (HF) in Central MA and the Morgan Monroe State Forest (MMSF) in Southern IN. At the HF, we measured rates of root exudation and the rhizosphere effects on enzyme activity, N cycling, and C mineralization in AM and ECM soils. At the MMSF, we recently girdled AM and ECM dominated plots to examine the impact of severing belowground C allocation on rhizosphere processes. At both sites, the rhizosphere effect on proteolytic, chitinolytic and ligninolytic enzyme activities was greater in ECM soils than in AM soils. In particular, higher rates of proteolytic enzyme activity increased the availability of amino acid-N in ECM rhizospheres relative to the bulk soils. Further, this stimulation of enzyme activity was directly correlated with higher rates of C mineralization in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soil. Although not significantly different between species, root exudation of C comprised 3-10% of annual gross primary production at the HF. At the MMSF, experimental girdling led to a larger decline in soil respiration and enzyme activity in ECM plots than in AM plots. In both ECM and AM soils, however, girdling resulted in equivalent rates of enzyme activity in rhizosphere and corresponding bulk soils. The results of this study contribute to the

  9. Effect of benzo[a]pyrene on detoxification and the activity of antioxidant enzymes of marine microalgae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Chen; Miao, Jingjing; Li, Yun; Pan, Luqing

    2016-04-01

    The objective of this study was to examine the effect of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) on the detoxification and antioxidant systems of two microalgae, Isochrysis zhanjiangensis and Platymonas subcordiformis. In our study, these two algae were exposed to BaP for 4 days at three different concentrations including 0.5 μg L-1 (low), 3 μg L-1 (mid) and 18 μg L-1 (high). The activity of detoxification enzymes, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) increased in P. subcordiformis in all BaP-treated groups. In I. zhanjiangensis, the activity of these two enzymes increased at the beginning of exposure, and then decreased in the groups treated with mid- and high BaP. The activity of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased in I. zhanjiangensis in all BaP-treated groups, and then decreased in high BaP-treated group, while no significant change was observed in P. subcordiformis. The activity of antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) increased in I. zhanjiangensis and P. subcordiformis in all BaPtreated groups. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in Isochrysis zhanjiangensis increased first, and then decreased in high BaP-treated group, while no change occurred in P. subcordiformis. These results demonstrated that BaP significantly influenced the activity of detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes in microalgae. The metabolic related enzymes (EROD, GST and CAT) may serve as sensitive biomarkers of measuring the contamination level of BaP in marine water.

  10. [Effects of bio-crust on soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in copper mine tailings].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zheng; Yang, Gui-de; Sun, Qing-ye

    2009-09-01

    Bio-crust is the initial stage of natural primary succession in copper mine tailings. With the Yangshanchong and Tongguanshan copper mine tailings in Tongling City of Anhui Province as test objects, this paper studied the soil microbial biomass C and N and the activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease under different types of bio-crust. The bio-crusts improved the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in the upper layer of the tailings markedly. Algal crust had the best effect in improving soil microbial biomass C and N, followed by moss-algal crust, and moss crust. Soil microflora also varied with the type of bio-crust. No'significant difference was observed in the soil enzyme activities under the three types of bio-crust. Soil alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly positively correlated with soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase and urease activities, but negatively correlated with soil pH. In addition, moss rhizoid could markedly enhance the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in moss crust rhizoid.

  11. Functional diversity of carbohydrate-active enzymes enabling a bacterium to ferment plant biomass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boutard, Magali; Cerisy, Tristan; Nogue, Pierre-Yves; Alberti, Adriana; Weissenbach, Jean; Salanoubat, Marcel; Tolonen, Andrew C

    2014-11-01

    Microbial metabolism of plant polysaccharides is an important part of environmental carbon cycling, human nutrition, and industrial processes based on cellulosic bioconversion. Here we demonstrate a broadly applicable method to analyze how microbes catabolize plant polysaccharides that integrates carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) assays, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and anaerobic growth screening. We apply this method to study how the bacterium Clostridium phytofermentans ferments plant biomass components including glucans, mannans, xylans, galactans, pectins, and arabinans. These polysaccharides are fermented with variable efficiencies, and diauxies prioritize metabolism of preferred substrates. Strand-specific RNA-seq reveals how this bacterium responds to polysaccharides by up-regulating specific groups of CAZymes, transporters, and enzymes to metabolize the constituent sugars. Fifty-six up-regulated CAZymes were purified, and their activities show most polysaccharides are degraded by multiple enzymes, often from the same family, but with divergent rates, specificities, and cellular localizations. CAZymes were then tested in combination to identify synergies between enzymes acting on the same substrate with different catalytic mechanisms. We discuss how these results advance our understanding of how microbes degrade and metabolize plant biomass.

  12. Effect of bioaugmentation by cellulolytic bacteria enriched from sheep rumen on methane production from wheat straw.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozbayram, E Gozde; Kleinsteuber, Sabine; Nikolausz, Marcell; Ince, Bahar; Ince, Orhan

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the potential of bioaugmentation with cellulolytic rumen microbiota to enhance the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic feedstock. An anaerobic cellulolytic culture was enriched from sheep rumen fluid using wheat straw as substrate under mesophilic conditions. To investigate the effects of bioaugmentation on methane production from straw, the enrichment culture was added to batch reactors in proportions of 2% (Set-1) and 4% (Set-2) of the microbial cell number of the standard inoculum slurry. The methane production in the bioaugmented reactors was higher than in the control reactors. After 30 days of batch incubation, the average methane yield was 154 mL N CH 4 g VS -1 in the control reactors. Addition of 2% enrichment culture did not enhance methane production, whereas in Set-2 the methane yield was increased by 27%. The bacterial communities were examined by 454 amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, while terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) fingerprinting of mcrA genes was applied to analyze the methanogenic communities. The results highlighted that relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae increased during the enrichment. However, Cloacamonaceae, which were abundant in the standard inoculum, dominated the bacterial communities of all batch reactors. T-RFLP profiles revealed that Methanobacteriales were predominant in the rumen fluid, whereas the enrichment culture was dominated by Methanosarcinales. In the batch rectors, the most abundant methanogens were affiliated to Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales. Our results suggest that bioaugmentation with sheep rumen enrichment cultures can enhance the performance of digesters treating lignocellulosic feedstock. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Changes In Certain Enzymes Activities In Tribolium CONFUSUM As Affected By Vanillin Or GAMMA Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MOHAMED, S.A.; SHOMAN, A.A.; AHMED, Z.A.

    2009-01-01

    The effect of 1 or 4 g vanillin/100 g whole wheat flour on the alkaline phosphatase of one day old larvae revealed that the mean enzyme activity was highly significantly increased in male and non-significant in female Triboluim confusum. As pupae were irradiated, the mean enzyme activity was significantly decreased in males and females (except at dose 300 Gy). Alanine transaminase (ALT or GPT) activity was decreased in males due to the effect of 4% vanillin and increased by irradiation while in female, the activity of ALT was increased when the larvae were reared on flour containing 1% or 4% vanillin and increased when pupae were irradiated at all doses used. There was a positive relationship between all treatments and the activity of aspartate transaminase (AST or GOT) in both sexes. The activity of AST was increased when the male or female larvae were reared on wheat flour containing 1 or 4 % vanillin and when pupae of males or females were irradiated. The choline esterase enzyme in T. confusum adults of both sexes was inhibited according to the effect of treatments with vanillin or gamma irradiation. Treated larvae with 1 or 4 % vanillin or irradiated as pupae at 300, 600 and 800 Gy led to decrease in the activity of choline esterase enzyme with the same pattern in both sexes.

  14. Rapid shifts in Atta cephalotes fungus-garden enzyme activity after a change in fungal substrate (Attini, Formicidae)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kooij, P W; Schiøtt, M; Boomsma, J J

    2011-01-01

    Fungus gardens of the basidiomycete Leucocoprinus gongylophorus sustain large colonies of leaf-cutting ants by degrading the plant material collected by the ants. Recent studies have shown that enzyme activity in these gardens is primarily targeted toward starch, proteins and the pectin matrix......, we measured the changes in enzyme activity after a controlled shift in fungal substrate offered to six laboratory colonies of Atta cephalotes. An ant diet consisting exclusively of grains of parboiled rice rapidly increased the activity of endo-proteinases and some of the pectinases attacking...... from the rice diet, relative to the leaf diet controls. Enzyme activity in the older, bottom sections of fungus gardens decreased, indicating a faster processing of the rice substrate compared to the leaf diet. These results suggest that leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens can rapidly adjust enzyme...

  15. A modern mode of activation for nucleic acid enzymes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominique Lévesque

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Through evolution, enzymes have developed subtle modes of activation in order to ensure the sufficiently high substrate specificity required by modern cellular metabolism. One of these modes is the use of a target-dependent module (i.e. a docking domain such as those found in signalling kinases. Upon the binding of the target to a docking domain, the substrate is positioned within the catalytic site. The prodomain acts as a target-dependent module switching the kinase from an off state to an on state. As compared to the allosteric mode of activation, there is no need for the presence of a third partner. None of the ribozymes discovered to date have such a mode of activation, nor does any other known RNA. Starting from a specific on/off adaptor for the hepatitis delta virus ribozyme, that differs but has a mechanism reminiscent of this signalling kinase, we have adapted this mode of activation, using the techniques of molecular engineering, to both catalytic RNAs and DNAs exhibiting various activities. Specifically, we adapted three cleaving ribozymes (hepatitis delta virus, hammerhead and hairpin ribozymes, a cleaving 10-23 deoxyribozyme, a ligating hairpin ribozyme and an artificially selected capping ribozyme. In each case, there was a significant gain in terms of substrate specificity. Even if this mode of control is unreported for natural catalytic nucleic acids, its use needs not be limited to proteinous enzymes. We suggest that the complexity of the modern cellular metabolism might have been an important selective pressure in this evolutionary process.

  16. Are spontaneous conformational interconversions a molecular basis for long-period oscillations in enzyme activity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Queiroz-Claret, C; Valon, C; Queiroz, O

    1988-01-01

    An unconventional hypothesis to the molecular basis of enzyme rhythms is that the intrinsic physical instability of the protein molecules which, in an aqueous medium, tend to move continuously from one conformational state to another could lead, in the population of enzyme molecules, to sizeable long-period oscillations in affinity for substrate and sensitivity to ligands and regulatory effects. To investigate this hypothesis, malate dehydrogenase was extracted and purified from leaves of the plant Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. The enzyme solutions were maintained under constant conditions and sampled at regular intervals for up to 40 or 70 h for measurements of activity as a function of substrate concentration, Km for oxaloacetic acid and sensitivity to the action of 2,3-butanedione, a modifier of active site arginyl residues. The results show that continuous slow oscillations in the catalytic capacity of the enzyme occur in all the extracts checked, together with fluctuations in Km. Apparent circadian periodicities were observed in accordance with previous data established during long run (100 h) experiments. The saturation curves for substrate showed multiple kinetic functions, with various pronounced intermediary plateaus and "bumps" depending on the time of sampling. Variation in the response to the effect of butanedione indicated fluctuation in the accessibility to the active site. Taken together, the results suggest that, under constant conditions, the enzyme in solution shifts continuously and reversibly between different configurations. This was confirmed by parallel studies on the proton-NMR spectrum of water aggregates in the enzyme solution and proton exchange rates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  17. Nuclear Localization of Mitochondrial TCA Cycle Enzymes as a Critical Step in Mammalian Zygotic Genome Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagaraj, Raghavendra; Sharpley, Mark S; Chi, Fangtao; Braas, Daniel; Zhou, Yonggang; Kim, Rachel; Clark, Amander T; Banerjee, Utpal

    2017-01-12

    Transcriptional control requires epigenetic changes directed by mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites. In the mouse embryo, global epigenetic changes occur during zygotic genome activation (ZGA) at the 2-cell stage. Pyruvate is essential for development beyond this stage, which is at odds with the low activity of mitochondria in this period. We now show that a number of enzymatically active mitochondrial enzymes associated with the TCA cycle are essential for epigenetic remodeling and are transiently and partially localized to the nucleus. Pyruvate is essential for this nuclear localization, and a failure of TCA cycle enzymes to enter the nucleus correlates with loss of specific histone modifications and a block in ZGA. At later stages, however, these enzymes are exclusively mitochondrial. In humans, the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase is transiently nuclear at the 4/8-cell stage coincident with timing of human embryonic genome activation, suggesting a conserved metabolic control mechanism underlying early pre-implantation development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Activation and thermostabilization effects of cyclic 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate on enzymes from the hyperthermophilic Methanopyrus kandleri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shima, S; Hérault, D A; Berkessel, A; Thauer, R K

    1998-11-01

    Enzymes involved in methane formation from carbon dioxide and dihydrogen in Methanopyrus kandleri require high concentrations (> 1 M) of lyotropic salts such as K2HPO4/KH2PO4 or (NH4)2SO4 for activity and for thermostability. The requirement correlates with high intracellular concentrations of cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (cDPG; approximately 1 M) in this hyperthermophilic organism. We report here on the effects of potassium cDPG on the activity and thermostability of the two methanogenic enzymes cyclohydrolase and formyltransferase and show that at cDPG concentrations prevailing in the cells the investigated enzymes are highly active and completely thermostable. At molar concentrations also the potassium salts of phosphate and of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, the biosynthetic precursor of cDPG, were found to confer activity and thermostability to the enzymes. Thermodynamic arguments are discussed as to why cDPG, rather than these salts, is present in high concentrations in the cells of Mp. kandleri.

  19. Inhibitory activities of Moringa oleifera leaf extract against α-glucosidase enzyme in vitro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natsir, H.; Wahab, A. W.; Laga, A.; Arif, A. R.

    2018-03-01

    Alpha-glucosidase is a key enzyme in the final process of breaking carbohydrates into glucose. Inhibition of α-glucosidase affected more absorption of glucose, so it can reduce hyperglycemia condition. The aims of this study is to determine the effectiveness of inhibition wet and dried Moringa oleifera leaf extract through α-glucosidase activity in vitro. The effectiveness study of inhibition on the activity of α-glucosidase enzyme obtained from white glutinous rice (Oryza sativa glutinosa) was carried out using wet and dried kelor leaf extract of 13% (w/v) with 10 mM α-D-glucopyranoside (PNPG) substrate. A positive control used 1% acarbose and substrate without addition of extract was a negative control. Inhibitory activity was measured using spectrophotometers at a wavelength of 400 nm. The result showed that the inhibition activity against α-glucosidase enzyme of dried leaf extract, wet leaf extract and acarbose was 81,39%, 83,94%, and 95,4%, respectively on pH 7,0. The effectiveness inhibition of the wet Moringa leaf extract was greater than the dried leaf extract. The findings suggest that M. oleifera leaf has the potential to be developed as an alternative food therapy for diabetics.

  20. Nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics (nanozymes): next-generation artificial enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Hui; Wang, Erkang

    2013-07-21

    Over the past few decades, researchers have established artificial enzymes as highly stable and low-cost alternatives to natural enzymes in a wide range of applications. A variety of materials including cyclodextrins, metal complexes, porphyrins, polymers, dendrimers and biomolecules have been extensively explored to mimic the structures and functions of naturally occurring enzymes. Recently, some nanomaterials have been found to exhibit unexpected enzyme-like activities, and great advances have been made in this area due to the tremendous progress in nano-research and the unique characteristics of nanomaterials. To highlight the progress in the field of nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes (nanozymes), this review discusses various nanomaterials that have been explored to mimic different kinds of enzymes. We cover their kinetics, mechanisms and applications in numerous fields, from biosensing and immunoassays, to stem cell growth and pollutant removal. We also summarize several approaches to tune the activities of nanozymes. Finally, we make comparisons between nanozymes and other catalytic materials (other artificial enzymes, natural enzymes, organic catalysts and nanomaterial-based catalysts) and address the current challenges and future directions (302 references).

  1. Microbial Activity in Forest Soil Under Beech, Spruce, Douglas Fir and Fir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hajnal-Jafari Timea

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to investigate the microbial activity in forest soil from different sites under deciduous and coniferous trees in Serbia. One site on Stara planina was under beech trees (Fagus sp. while another under mixture of spruce (Picea sp. and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga sp.. The site on Kopaonik was under mixture of beech (Fagus sp. and spruce (Picea sp. trees. The site on Tara was dominantly under fir (Abies sp., beech (Fagus sp. and spruce (Picea sp.. The total number of bacteria, the number of actinobacteria, fungi and microorganisms involved in N and C cycles were determined using standard method of agar plates. The activities of dehydrogenase and ß-glucosidase enzymes were measured by spectrophotometric methods. The microbial activity was affected by tree species and sampling time. The highest dehydrogenase activity, total number of bacteria, number of actinobacteria, aminoheterotrophs, amylolytic and cellulolytic microorganisms were determined in soil under beech trees. The highest total number of fungi and number of pectinolytic microorganisms were determined in soil under spruce and Douglas fir trees. The correlation analyses proved the existence of statistically significant interdependency among investigated parameters.

  2. Proteomic and activity profiles of ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes in germinating barley embryo

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bønsager, Birgit Christine; Shahpiri, Azar; Finnie, Christine

    2010-01-01

    Enzymes involved in redox control are important during seed germination and seedling growth. Ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes in barley embryo extracts were monitored both by 2D-gel electrophoresis and activity measurements from 4 to 144 h post imbibition (PI). Strikingly different activity...... profiles were observed. No ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity was present in mature seeds but activity was detected after 24 h PI and increased 14-fold up to 144 h PI. In contrast, dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) activity was present at 4 h PI and first decreased by 9-fold until 72 h PI followed by a 5......-fold increase at 144 h PI. Glutathione reductase and monodehydroascorbate reductase activities were also detected at 4 h PI, and showed modest increases of 1.8- and 2.7-fold, respectively, by 144 h PI. The combination of functional analysis with the proteomics approach enabled correlation...

  3. PENGARUH DEGRADASI ENZIM PROTEOLITIK TERHADAP AKTIVITAS ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITOR BEKASAM DENGAN Lactobacillus plantarum B1765 (The Effect of Degradation of Proteolitic Enzyme on Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Activity of Bekasam with Lactobacillus plantarum B1765

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prima Retno Wikandari

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This research studied the effect of digestive enzyme degradation on the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI activity and the stability of bekasam peptide and ACEI activity. Water extract of bekasam was subjected to pepsin and trypsin. The stability of peptide was measured from the changes of peptide concentration before and after treatment by those enzymes. The stability of ACEI activity was measured by hypuric acid liberated from Hip-His-Leu as ACE substrate and determined by spectrophotometer. The results showed that proteolytic enzyme degradation did not affect the concentration of peptide (p>0,05 and the mean concentration 36.72. It was closely related with the ACEI activity that did not change significantly before and after digestion by pepsin and trypsin (p>0,05 and the mean ACEI activity was 70.73. It showed that ACEI activity of bekasam did not change by the degradation of digestive enzyme. Keywords: bekasam, fermented fish, peptides, ACEI activity ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh degradasi enzim pencernaan proteolitik terhadap stabilitas peptida dan aktivitas Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI bekasam yang difermentasi dengan kultur starter Lactobacillus plantarum B1765. Terhadap ekstrak bekasam diberi perlakuan enzim proteolitik pepsin dan tripsin. Pengujian stabilitas peptida diukur dengan ada tidaknya perubahan jumlah peptida setelah perlakuan enzim menggunakan metode formol, sedangkan aktivitas ACEI dilakukan dengan mengetahui jumlah asam hipurat dari substrat Hip-His-Leu yang dibebaskan oleh ACE diukur dengan spektrofotometer. Hasil pengujian menunjukkan perlakuan enzim proteolitik tidak berpengaruh pada konsentrasi peptida dengan p>0,05 dengan nilai rata-rata konsentrasi peptida sebesar 36,72. Hal ini berkorelasi dengan aktivitas ACEI yang juga menunjukkan tidak ada pengaruh antara perlakuan sebelum dan setelah degradasi enzim (p>0,05 dengan rata-rata aktivitas ACEI sebesar 70,73. Hasil

  4. A new versatile microarray-based method for high-throughput screening of carbohydrate-active enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vidal Melgosa, Silvia; Pedersen, Henriette Lodberg; Schückel, Julia

    2015-01-01

    Carbohydrate-active enzymes have multiple biological roles and industrial applications. Advances in genome and transcriptome sequencing, together with associated bioinformatic tools have identified vast numbers of putative carbohydrate degrading and modifying enzymes including glycoside hydrolases...... that the technique can be used to analyse both endo-acting and exo-acting glycoside hydrolases, polysaccharide lyases, carbohydrate esterases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases. We demonstrate the potential of the technique by identifying the substrate specificities of purified un-characterised enzymes...

  5. Diel changes in stream periphyton extracellular enzyme activity throughout community development on inert and organic substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rier, S. T.; Francoeur, S. N.; Kuehn, K. A.

    2005-05-01

    We tested the hypothesis that algal photosynthesis in stream periphyton communities would influence the activities of extracellular enzymes produced by associated heterotrophic bacteria and fungi to acquire organic compounds and inorganic nutrients. We approached this question by looking for diurnal variation in activities of four extracellular enzymes in periphyton communities that were grown on either inert (glass fiber filters) or organic (leaves) substrata that there were incubated in stream-side channels that were either open to full sun or shaded. Substrata were subsampled for β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphotase, leucine-aminopeptidase, and phenol oxidase activities at 3-5 hr. intervals over two consecutive diurnal cycles that were repeated at an early and later stage of periphyton community development. Activities of all enzymes displayed diurnal periodicity but the strength of the diurnal effects depended largely on the substrate type and stage of community development. The most consistent diurnal change was observed with phenol oxidase activity with significantly greater (p<0.05) activities being observed in during the day for both stages of community development and for both substrate types. It is likely that oxygen produced by algal photosynthesis is driving the activity of this oxidative enzyme and that algae might indirectly influence the decomposition of phenolic compounds.

  6. Effect of sprint cycle training on activities of antioxidant enzymes in human skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hellsten, Ylva; Apple, F. S.; Sjödin, B.

    1996-01-01

    (P anaerobic capacity in the trained muscle. The present study demonstrates that intermittent sprint cycle training that induces an enhanced capacity for anaerobic energy generation also improves......The effect of intermittent sprint cycle training on the level of muscle antioxidant enzyme protection was investigated. Resting muscle biopsies, obtained before and after 6 wk of training and 3, 24, and 72 h after the final session of an additional 1 wk of more frequent training, were analyzed...... for activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Activities of several muscle metabolic enzymes were determined to assess the effectiveness of the training. After the first 6-wk training period, no change in GPX, GR, or SOD...

  7. Variation in pH optima of hydrolytic enzyme activities in tropical rain forest soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Benjamin L

    2010-10-01

    Extracellular enzymes synthesized by soil microbes play a central role in the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in the environment. The pH optima of eight hydrolytic enzymes involved in the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, were assessed in a series of tropical forest soils of contrasting pH values from the Republic of Panama. Assays were conducted using 4-methylumbelliferone-linked fluorogenic substrates in modified universal buffer. Optimum pH values differed markedly among enzymes and soils. Enzymes were grouped into three classes based on their pH optima: (i) enzymes with acidic pH optima that were consistent among soils (cellobiohydrolase, β-xylanase, and arylsulfatase), (ii) enzymes with acidic pH optima that varied systematically with soil pH, with the most acidic pH optima in the most acidic soils (α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase), and (iii) enzymes with an optimum pH in either the acid range or the alkaline range depending on soil pH (phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase). The optimum pH values of phosphomonoesterase were consistent among soils, being 4 to 5 for acid phosphomonoesterase and 10 to 11 for alkaline phosphomonoesterase. In contrast, the optimum pH for phosphodiesterase activity varied systematically with soil pH, with the most acidic pH optima (3.0) in the most acidic soils and the most alkaline pH optima (pH 10) in near-neutral soils. Arylsulfatase activity had a very acidic optimum pH in all soils (pH ≤3.0) irrespective of soil pH. The differences in pH optima may be linked to the origins of the enzymes and/or the degree of stabilization on solid surfaces. The results have important implications for the interpretation of hydrolytic enzyme assays using fluorogenic substrates.

  8. The effect of aluminium on enzyme activities in two wheat cultivars ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effect of aluminium on enzyme activities in two wheat cultivars. ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... and Maroon (Al-tolerant) were grown on hydroponic solution (non modified Hoagland solution) containing AlCl3 (0-100-200-300 M).

  9. Enzyme activities at different stages of plant biomass decomposition in three species of fungus-growing termites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    da Costa, Rafael R.; Hu, Haofu; Pilgaard, Bo

    2018-01-01

    contributing to the success of the termites as the main plant decomposers in the Old World. Here we evaluate which plant polymers are decomposed and which enzymes are active during the decomposition process in two major genera of fungus-growing termites. We find a diversity of active enzymes at different...... stages of decomposition and a consistent decrease in plant components during the decomposition process. Furthermore, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that termites transport enzymes from the older mature parts of the fungus comb through young worker guts to freshly inoculated plant...... substrate. However, preliminary fungal RNAseq analyses suggest that this likely transport is supplemented with enzymes produced in situ Our findings support that the maintenance of an external fungus comb, inoculated with an optimal mix of plant material, fungal spores, and enzymes, is likely the key...

  10. Measurement and purification of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT enzyme activity in patients with celiac disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taghreed U. Mohammed

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Celiac disease (CD is the most common genetically - based disease in correlation with food intolerance. The aim of this study is to measure the activity of ALT enzyme and purify enzyme from sera women with celiac disease. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT activity has been assayed in (30 women serum samples with celiac disease, age range between (20-40 year and (30 serum of healthy women as control group, age range between (22-38 year. In the present study, the mean value of ALT activity was significantly higher in patients with celiac disease than healthy group (p<0.01. The ALT enzyme was partial purified from sera women with celiac disease by dialysis, gel filtration using Sephadex G- 50 and ion exchange chromatography using DEAE- cellulose A-50 . The results showed a single peak by using gel filtration and the activity reached 31-15 U/L .Two isoenzymes were obtained by using ion exchange chromatography and the purity degree of isoenzymse (I, II were (5.7 and (5.53 fold respectively

  11. Identification of 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate-hydrolyzing enzyme activity in rabbit taste bud cells using X-ray microanalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asanuma, N.

    1990-01-01

    X-ray microanalysis has been used to characterize the enzyme activity hydrolyzing the ATP analogue 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) in taste bud cells. Rabbit foliate papillae fixed with paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde were incubated cytochemically with AMP-PNP as the substrate and lead ion as capture agent. The reaction product which appeared on the microvilli of taste bud cells was examined using an energy dispersive X-ray microanalyzer connected to an analytical electron microscope. The X-ray spectrum thus obtained was compared with that obtained from the product obtained from the demonstration of ATPase activity. Comparison of the phosphorus/lead ratios in the two products showed that twice as much phosphorus was released from an AMP-PNP molecule by the activity in question compared with that released from an ATP molecule by ATPase activity. This indicates that the enzyme hydrolyzes AMP-PNP into AMP and imidodiphosphate and that the enzyme is adenylate cyclase or ATP pyrophosphohydrolase, which possesses a similar hydrolytic property, but not ATPase or alkaline phosphatase, which hydrolyzes AMP-PNP into ADP-NH2 and orthophosphate. This paper provides an example of the use of X-ray microanalysis as a tool for enzyme distinction. The method is applicable to a variety of enzymes and tissues

  12. Paradigmatic status of an endo- and exoglucanase and its effect on crystalline cellulose degradation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moraïs Sarah

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microorganisms employ a multiplicity of enzymes to efficiently degrade the composite structure of plant cell wall cellulosic polysaccharides. These remarkable enzyme systems include glycoside hydrolases (cellulases, hemicellulases, polysaccharide lyases, and the carbohydrate esterases. To accomplish this challenging task, several strategies are commonly observed either separately or in combination. These include free enzyme systems, multifunctional enzymes, and multi-enzyme self-assembled designer cellulosome complexes. Results In order to compare these different paradigms, we employed a synthetic biology approach to convert two different cellulases from the free enzymatic system of the well-studied bacterium, Thermobifida fusca, into bifunctional enzymes with different modular architectures. We then examined their performance compared to those of the combined parental free-enzyme and equivalent designer-cellulosome systems. The results showed that the cellulolytic activity displayed by the different architectures of the bifunctional enzymes was somewhat inferior to that of the wild-type free enzyme system. Conclusions The activity exhibited by the designer cellulosome system was equal or superior to that of the free system, presumably reflecting the combined proximity of the enzymes and high flexibility of the designer cellulosome components, thus enabling efficient enzymatic activity of the catalytic modules.

  13. Serum prolidase enzyme activity in obese subjects and its relationship with oxidative stress markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslan, Mehmet; Duzenli, Ufuk; Esen, Ramazan; Soyoral, Yasemin Usul

    2017-10-01

    The relationship between increased serum enzyme activity of prolidase and increased rate of collagen turnover in the arterial wall has been asserted in previous studies. Collagen reflects much of the strength to the connective tissue involved in the arterial wall. Atherosclerosis is very common vessel disease and oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis. Our objective was to examine the serum enzyme activity of prolidase and its possible relationships with oxidative stress parameters in obese subjects. Our present study was conducted 27 obese subjects and 26 age-matched healthy control subjects. The serum enzyme activity of prolidase in all study population was evaluated spectrophotometrically. Oxidative stress levels in obese subjects were analyzed with total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) as well as oxidative stress index (OSI). Obese subjects have higher serum TOS and OSI indicators as well as prolidase activity than those in control subjects (for all; pstress levels in obese subjects. The significantly correlation between increased oxidative stress and increased prolidase activity may play a pivotal role in etiopathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in obese subjects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Tumour Microenvironments Induce Expression of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR) and Concomitant Activation of Gelatinolytic Enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnussen, Synnøve; Hadler-Olsen, Elin; Latysheva, Nadezhda; Pirila, Emma; Steigen, Sonja E.; Hanes, Robert; Salo, Tuula; Winberg, Jan-Olof; Uhlin-Hansen, Lars; Svineng, Gunbjørg

    2014-01-01

    Background The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is associated with poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and increased expression of uPAR is often found at the invasive tumour front. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the role of uPAR in invasion and metastasis of OSCC, and the effects of various tumour microenvironments in these processes. Furthermore, we wanted to study whether the cells’ expression level of uPAR affected the activity of gelatinolytic enzymes. Methods The Plaur gene was both overexpressed and knocked-down in the murine OSCC cell line AT84. Tongue and skin tumours were established in syngeneic mice, and cells were also studied in an ex vivo leiomyoma invasion model. Soluble factors derived from leiomyoma tissue, as well as purified extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, were assessed for their ability to affect uPAR expression, glycosylation and cleavage. Activity of gelatinolytic enzymes in the tissues were assessed by in situ zymography. Results We found that increased levels of uPAR did not induce tumour invasion or metastasis. However, cells expressing low endogenous levels of uPAR in vitro up-regulated uPAR expression both in tongue, skin and leiomyoma tissue. Various ECM proteins had no effect on uPAR expression, while soluble factors originating from the leiomyoma tissue increased both the expression and glycosylation of uPAR, and possibly also affected the proteolytic processing of uPAR. Tumours with high levels of uPAR, as well as cells invading leiomyoma tissue with up-regulated uPAR expression, all displayed enhanced activity of gelatinolytic enzymes. Conclusions Although high levels of uPAR are not sufficient to induce invasion and metastasis, the activity of gelatinolytic enzymes was increased. Furthermore, several tumour microenvironments have the capacity to induce up-regulation of uPAR expression, and soluble factors in the tumour microenvironment may have an important role in the

  15. Tumour microenvironments induce expression of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR and concomitant activation of gelatinolytic enzymes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Synnøve Magnussen

    Full Text Available The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR is associated with poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC, and increased expression of uPAR is often found at the invasive tumour front. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the role of uPAR in invasion and metastasis of OSCC, and the effects of various tumour microenvironments in these processes. Furthermore, we wanted to study whether the cells' expression level of uPAR affected the activity of gelatinolytic enzymes.The Plaur gene was both overexpressed and knocked-down in the murine OSCC cell line AT84. Tongue and skin tumours were established in syngeneic mice, and cells were also studied in an ex vivo leiomyoma invasion model. Soluble factors derived from leiomyoma tissue, as well as purified extracellular matrix (ECM proteins, were assessed for their ability to affect uPAR expression, glycosylation and cleavage. Activity of gelatinolytic enzymes in the tissues were assessed by in situ zymography.We found that increased levels of uPAR did not induce tumour invasion or metastasis. However, cells expressing low endogenous levels of uPAR in vitro up-regulated uPAR expression both in tongue, skin and leiomyoma tissue. Various ECM proteins had no effect on uPAR expression, while soluble factors originating from the leiomyoma tissue increased both the expression and glycosylation of uPAR, and possibly also affected the proteolytic processing of uPAR. Tumours with high levels of uPAR, as well as cells invading leiomyoma tissue with up-regulated uPAR expression, all displayed enhanced activity of gelatinolytic enzymes.Although high levels of uPAR are not sufficient to induce invasion and metastasis, the activity of gelatinolytic enzymes was increased. Furthermore, several tumour microenvironments have the capacity to induce up-regulation of uPAR expression, and soluble factors in the tumour microenvironment may have an important role in the regulation of posttranslational

  16. Endo/exo-synergism of cellulases increases with substrate conversion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Johan Pelck; Borch, Kim; Westh, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Synergy between cellulolytic enzymes is important for their industrial utilization, and numerous studies have addressed the problem of how to optimize the composition of enzyme cocktails with respect to this. The degree of synergy (DS) may change with substrate conversion, and some studies have s...

  17. Soil zymography - A novel technique for mapping enzyme activity in the rhizosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spohn, Marie

    2014-05-01

    The effect plant roots on microbial activity in soil at the millimeter scale is poorly understood. One reason for this is that spatially explicit methods for the study of microbial activity in soil are limited. Here we present a quantitative in situ technique for mapping the distribution of exoenzymes in soil along with some results about the effects of roots on exoenzyme activity in soil. In the first study we showed that both acid and alkaline phosphatase activity were up to 5.4-times larger in the rhizosphere of Lupinus albus than in the bulk soil. While acid phosphatase activity (produced by roots and microorganisms) was closely associated with roots, alkaline phosphatase activity (produced only by microorganisms) was more widely distributed, leading to a 2.5-times larger area of activity of alkaline than of acid phosphatase. These results indicate a spatial differentiation of different ecophysiological groups of organic phosphorus mineralizing organisms in the rhizosphere which might alleviate a potential competition for phosphorus between them. In a second study cellulase, chitinase and phosphatase activities were analyzed in the presence of living Lupinus polyphyllus roots and dead/dying roots (in the same soils 10, 20 and 30 days after cutting the L. polyphyllus shoots). The activity of all three enzymes was 9.0 to 13.9-times higher at the living roots compared to the bulk soil. Microhotspots of cellulase, chitinase and phosphatase activity in the soil were found up to 60 mm away from the living roots. 10 days after shoot cutting, the areas of high activities of cellulase and phosphatase activity were extend up to 55 mm away from the next root, while the extension of the area of chitinase activity did not change significantly. At the root, cellulase and chitinase activity increased first at the root tips after shoot cutting and showed maximal activity 20 days after shoot cutting. The number and activity of microhotspots of chitinase activity was maximal 10

  18. Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent protein kinase enzyme I of Streptococcus faecalis: purification and properties of the enzyme and characterization of its active center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alpert, C.A.; Frank, R.; Stueber, K.D.; Deutscher, J.; Hengstenberg, W.

    1985-01-01

    Enzyme I, the phosphoenolpyruvate:protein phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.3.9), which is part of the bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate-(PEP) dependent phosphotransferase system, has been purified from Streptococcus faecalis by using a large-scale preparation. Size exclusion chromatography revealed a molecular weight of 140,000. On sodium dodecyl sulfate gels, enzyme I gave one band with a molecular weight of 70,000, indicating that enzyme I consists of two identical subunits. The first 59 amino acids of the amino-terminal part of the protein have been sequenced. It showed some similarities with enzyme I of Salmonella typhimurium. The active center of enzyme I has also been determined. After phosphorylation with [ 32 P]PEP, the enzyme was cleaved by using different proteases. Labeled peptides were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography on a reversed-phase column. The amino acid composition or amino acid sequence of the peptides has been determined. The largest labeled peptide was obtained with Lys-C protease and had the following sequence: -Ala-Phe-Val-Thr-Asp-Ile-Gly- Gly-Arg-Thr-Ser-His*-Ser-Ala-Ile-Met-Ala-Arg-Ser-Leu-Glu-Ile-Pro-Ala- Ile-Val-Gly-Thr-Lys-. It has previously been shown that the phosphoryl group is bound to the N-3 position of a histidyl residue in phosphorylated enzyme I. The single His in position 12 of the above peptide must therefore carry the phosphoryl group

  19. Atrazine degradation and enzyme activities in an agricultural soil under two tillage systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahía, Jorge; Martín, Angela; Carballas, Tarsy; Díaz-Raviña, Montserrat

    2007-05-25

    The content of atrazine and its metabolites (hydroxyatrazine, deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine) as well as the activities of two soil enzymes (urease and beta-glucosidase) were evaluated in an acid agricultural soil, located in a temperate humid zone (Galicia, NW Spain), with an annual ryegrass-maize rotation under conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT). Samples were collected during two consecutive years from the arable layer at two depths (0-5 cm and 5-20 cm) and different times after atrazine application. Hydroxyatrazine and deisopropylatrazine were the main metabolites resulting from atrazine degradation in the acid soil studied, the highest levels being detected in the surface layer of the NT treatment. A residual effect of atrazine was observed since hydroxyatrazine was detected in the arable layer (0-5 cm, 5-20 cm) even one year after the herbicide application. Soil enzyme activities in the upper 5 cm layer under NT were consistently higher than those in the same layer under CT. Urease and beta-glucosidase activities decreased with depth in the profile under NT but they did not show any differences between the two depths for the plots under CT. For both tillage systems enzyme activities also reflected temporal changes during the maize cultivation; however, no consistent effect of the herbicide application was observed.

  20. Acrolein inhibits NADH-linked mitochondrial enzyme activity: implications for Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pocernich, Chava B; Butterfield, D Allan

    2003-01-01

    In Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain increased lipid peroxidation and decreased energy utilization are found. Mitochondria membranes contain a significant amount of arachidonic and linoleic acids, precursors of lipid peroxidation products, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and 2-propen-1-al (acrolein), that are extremely reactive. Both alkenals are increased in AD brain. In this study, we examined the effects of nanomolar levels of acrolein on the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), both reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-linked mitochondrial enzymes. Acrolein decreased PDH and KGDH activities significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), acrolein was found to bind lipoic acid, a component in both the PDH and KGDH complexes, most likely explaining the loss of enzyme activity. Acrolein also interacted with oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) in such a way as to decrease the production of NADH. Acrolein, which is increased in AD brain, may be partially responsible for the dysfunction of mitochondria and loss of energy found in AD brain by inhibition of PDH and KGDH activities, potentially contributing to the neurodegeneration in this disorder.

  1. Acetate Activation in Methanosaeta thermophila: Characterization of the Key Enzymes Pyrophosphatase and Acetyl-CoA Synthetase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefanie Berger

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The thermophilic methanogen Methanosaeta thermophila uses acetate as sole substrate for methanogenesis. It was proposed that the acetate activation reaction that is needed to feed acetate into the methanogenic pathway requires the hydrolysis of two ATP, whereas the acetate activation reaction in Methanosarcina sp. is known to require only one ATP. As these organisms live at the thermodynamic limit that sustains life, the acetate activation reaction in Mt. thermophila seems too costly and was thus reevaluated. It was found that of the putative acetate activation enzymes one gene encoding an AMP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase was highly expressed. The corresponding enzyme was purified and characterized in detail. It catalyzed the ATP-dependent formation of acetyl-CoA, AMP, and pyrophosphate (PPi and was only moderately inhibited by PPi. The breakdown of PPi was performed by a soluble pyrophosphatase. This enzyme was also purified and characterized. The pyrophosphatase hydrolyzed the major part of PPi (KM=0.27±0.05 mM that was produced in the acetate activation reaction. Activity was not inhibited by nucleotides or PPi. However, it cannot be excluded that other PPi-dependent enzymes take advantage of the remaining PPi and contribute to the energy balance of the cell.

  2. Correction: Mesoporous titania thin films as efficient enzyme carriers for paraoxon determination/detoxification: effects of enzyme binding and pore hierarchy on the biocatalyst activity and reusability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frančič, N; Bellino, M G; Soler-Illia, G J A A; Lobnik, A

    2016-07-07

    Correction for 'Mesoporous titania thin films as efficient enzyme carriers for paraoxon determination/detoxification: effects of enzyme binding and pore hierarchy on the biocatalyst activity and reusability' by N. Frančičet al., Analyst, 2014, 139, 3127-3136.

  3. Prenatal ethanol exposure alters steroidogenic enzyme activity in newborn rat testes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelce, W R; Rudeen, P K; Ganjam, V K

    1989-10-01

    We have examined the in utero effects of ethanol exposure on testicular steroidogenesis in newborn male pups. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a liquid ethanol diet (35% ethanol-derived calories), a pair-fed isocaloric liquid diet, or a standard laboratory rat chow and water diet beginning on Day 12 of gestation and continuing through parturition. Although there were no significant differences in the enzymatic activity of 5-ene-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase or C17,20-lyase, the enzymatic activity of 17 alpha-hydroxylase was significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced (i.e., approximately 36%) in the ethanol-exposed pups compared to those from the pair-fed and chow treatment groups. This lesion in testicular steroidogenic enzyme activity in newborn male pups exposed to alcohol in utero was transient as 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity from the ethanol-exposed animals returned to control levels by postnatal Day 20 and remained at control levels through adulthood (postnatal Day 60). These data suggest that the suppression of the perinatal testosterone surge in male rats exposed to alcohol in utero and the associated long term demasculinizing effects of prenatal ethanol exposure might be the result of reduced testicular steroidogenic enzyme activity in the perinatal animal.

  4. Sorghum bagasse as substrate for cellulase production by submerged and solid-state cultures of Trichoderma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teodor Vintilă

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Sweet sorghum bagasse was used as cellulosic substrate in submerged and solid-state cultures of Trichoderma for cellulase production. Submerged liquid cultures (SLC were obtained by inoculation of Mandels media containing 1% cellulose with spores suspension of Trichoderma. Solid-state cultures (SSC were carried out in Erlenmayer flasks, where the substrate was distributed 1 cm layers. Comparing the yields of cellulases produced by Trichoderma strains in the systems applied in this study, using as substrate sorghum bagasse, we found the solid-state cultures as the system to produce the highest cellulase yields. The local strain of T. viride CMIT3.5. express high productivity in SSC system in laboratory conditions. The cellulolytic enzymes have maximum activity at 50oC, pH 4,8. The results recommend solid-state cultures of Trichoderma on sorghum bagasse as systems for producing cellulolytic products with higher activity than submerged cultures of Trichoderma on the same substrate.

  5. Studies on the effects of radiation on enzyme activity and chromosome in mammals (Mus musuculus)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.B.; Lee, K.S.; Kim, Y.J.

    1982-01-01

    From the results of many researches in radiation biology, it is well known that the radiation induces gene mutation, aberration of chromosome which is a carrier of genes and the increase or decrease of enzyme activities in living organisms. However, the frequency of chromosomal aberration or the degree of enzyme activities according to the animal's age when they are irradiated with radiation and time pass after irradiation are known a little if any. From these viewpoints, the research on the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells and the degree of activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in liver, kidney and brain, and isocitrate dehydrogense in kidney and brain of mouse has been carried out according to the mice age when they are irradiated with 200 rad of whole body irradiation. The chromosomes and enzyme activities were observed at 24 hours, 48 hours and 4 days to 90 days after irradiation. (Author)

  6. Triclabendazole Effect on Protease Enzyme Activity in the Excretory- Secretory Products of Fasciola hepatica in Vitro.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yosef Shrifi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica is one of the most important helminthes parasites and triclabendazole (TCBZ is routinely used for treatment of infected people and animals. Secreted protease enzymes by the F. hepatica plays a critical role in the invasion, migration, nutrition and the survival of parasite and are key targets for novel drugs and vaccines. The aim of study was to determine the protease activity of excretory- secretory products (ESP of F. hepatica in the presence of TCBZ anthelmintic.F. hepatica helminthes were collected and cultured within RPMI 1640 [TCBZ treated (test and untreated (control] for 6 h at 37 °C. ESP of treated and control were collected, centrifuged and supernatants were stored at -20°C. Protein concentrations were measured according to Bradford method. Protease enzymes activities of ESP samples were estimated by using sigma's non-specific protease activity assay. ESP protein bands were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE.Mean protein concentrations in control and treated of ESP samples were determined 196.1 ±14.52 and 376.4 ±28.20 μg/ml, respectively. Mean protease enzymes activities in control and treated were 0.37 ±0.1 and 0.089 ±0.03 U/ml, respectively. Significant difference between proteins concentrations and protease enzymes activities of two groups was observed (P<0.05. SDS-PAGE showed different patterns of protein bands between treated and control samples.The TCBZ reduced secreted protease enzymes activities and possibly effects on invasion, migration, nutrition and particularly survival of the parasite in the host tissues.

  7. Antioxidant enzymes activity in embryogenic and non-embryogenic tissues in Sugarcane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marina Medeiros de Araujo Silva; Ulisses, Claudia; Lacerda E Medeiros, Maria Jaislanny; Cavalcante Granja, Manuela Maria; Willadino, Lilia; Camara, Terezinha

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this work was to induce direct somatic embryogenesis from segments of immature leaves of the RB872552 variety of sugarcane and to correlate this morphogenic event with oxidative stress. Two previously described protocols were utilized for the induction of somatic embryogenesis in sugarcane with different supplementations of the culture medium and different incubation conditions. For the conversion of embryos into plants was used ms medium without phytoregulators. Histological analyses and activity of antioxidant enzymes were also conducted for the embryogenic and non-embryogenic tissues. The formation of somatic embryos was obtained in 81 % of the explants with the combination of regulators 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid)and BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) when incubated under 16 h photoperiod. With regards to the antioxidant enzymes, there was increased activity of peroxidase and an increase in the soluble protein content in embryogenic tissues, whereas lower activities of polyphenol oxidase and catalase appeared in these tissues compared to nonembryogenic tissues. It could be inferred that oxidative stress plays an important role in the induction of somatic embryogenesis in sugarcane.

  8. Reactor design for minimizing product inhibition during enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis II. Quantification of inhibition and suitability of membrane reactors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andric, Pavle; Meyer, Anne S.; Jensen, Peter Arendt

    2010-01-01

    conversion are required for alleviation of glucose product inhibition. Supported by numerous calculations this review assesses the quantitative aspects of glucose product inhibition on enzyme-catalyzed cellulose degradation rates. The significance of glucose product inhibition on dimensioning of different......Product inhibition of cellulolytic enzymes affects the efficiency of the biocatalytic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol and other valuable products. New strategies that focus on reactor designs encompassing product removal, notably glucose removal, during enzymatic cellulose...... reactor features, including system set-up, dilution rate, glucose output profile, and the problem of cellobiose are examined to illustrate the quantitative significance of the glucose product inhibition and the total glucose concentration on the cellulolytic conversion rate. Comprehensive overviews...

  9. Assaying Oxidative Coupling Activity of CYP450 Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Vinayak

    2018-01-01

    Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes are ubiquitous catalysts in natural product biosynthetic schemes where they catalyze numerous different transformations using radical intermediates. In this protocol, we describe procedures to assay the activity of a marine bacterial CYP450 enzyme Bmp7 which catalyzes the oxidative radical coupling of polyhalogenated aromatic substrates. The broad substrate tolerance of Bmp7, together with rearrangements of the aryl radical intermediates leads to a large number of products to be generated by the enzymatic action of Bmp7. The complexity of the product pool generated by Bmp7 thus presents an analytical challenge for structural elucidation. To address this challenge, we describe mass spectrometry-based procedures to provide structural insights into aryl crosslinked products generated by Bmp7, which can complement subsequent spectroscopic experiments. Using the procedures described here, for the first time, we show that Bmp7 can efficiently accept polychlorinated aryl substrates, in addition to the physiological polybrominated substrates for the biosynthesis of polyhalogenated marine natural products. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Loop variants of the thermophile Rasamsonia emersonii Cel7A with improved activity against cellulose

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Trine Holst; Skovbo Windahl, Michael; McBrayer, Brett

    2017-01-01

    Cel7A cellobiohydrolases perform processive hydrolysis on one strand of cellulose, which is threaded through the enzyme's substrate binding tunnel. The tunnel structure results from a groove in the catalytic domain, which is covered by a number of loops. These loops have been identified as potent......Cel7A cellobiohydrolases perform processive hydrolysis on one strand of cellulose, which is threaded through the enzyme's substrate binding tunnel. The tunnel structure results from a groove in the catalytic domain, which is covered by a number of loops. These loops have been identified...... as potential targets for engineering of this industrially important enzyme family, but only few systematic studies on this have been made. Here we show that two asparagine residues (N194 and N197) positioned in the loop covering the glucopyranose subsite −4 (recently denoted B2 loop) of the thermostable Cel7A...... with alanine leads to faster enzyme-substrate dissociation. Conversely, these residues appeared to have little or no effect on the rate of association. We suggest that the controlled adjustment of the enzyme-substrate dissociation prompts faster cellulolytic enzymes....

  11. Ultrasound in Enzyme Activation and Inactivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mawson, Raymond; Gamage, Mala; Terefe, Netsanet Shiferaw; Knoerzer, Kai

    As discussed in previous chapters, most effects due to ultrasound arise from cavitation events, in particular, collapsing cavitation bubbles. These collapsing bubbles generate very high localized temperatures and pressure shockwaves along with micro-streaming that is associated with high shear forces. These effects can be used to accelerate the transport of substrates and reaction products to and from enzymes, and to enhance mass transfer in enzyme reactor systems, and thus improve efficiency. However, the high velocity streaming, together with the formation of hydroxy radicals and heat generation during collapsing of bubbles, may also potentially affect the biocatalyst stability, and this can be a limiting factor in combined ultrasound/enzymatic applications. Typically, enzymes can be readily denatured by slight changes in environmental conditions, including temperature, pressure, shear stress, pH and ionic strength.

  12. Influence of protoplast fusion between two Trichoderma spp. on extracellular enzymes production and antagonistic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Mohamed M

    2014-11-02

    Biological control plays a crucial role in grapevine pathogens disease management. The cell-wall degrading enzymes chitinase, cellulase and β-glucanase have been suggested to be essential for the mycoparasitism activity of Trichoderma species against grapevine fungal pathogens. In order to develop a useful strain as a single source of these vital enzymes, it was intended to incorporate the characteristics of two parental fungicides tolerant mutants of Trichoderma belonging to the high chitinase producing species T. harzianum and the high cellulase producing species T. viride , by fusing their protoplasts. The phylogeny of the parental strains was carried out using a sequence of the 5.8S-ITS region. The BLAST of the obtained sequence identified these isolates as T. harzianum and T. viride . Protoplasts were isolated using lysing enzymes and were fused using polyethylene glycol. The fused protoplasts have been regenerated on protoplast regeneration minimal medium supplemented with two selective fungicides. Among the 40 fast growing fusants, 17 fusants were selected based on their enhanced growth on selective media for further studies. The fusant strains were growing 60%-70% faster than the parents up to third generation. All the 17 selected fusants exhibited morphological variations. Some fusant strains displayed threefold increased chitinase enzyme activity and twofold increase in β-glucanase enzyme activity compared to the parent strains. Most fusants showed powerful antagonistic activity against Macrophomin aphaseolina , Pythium ultimum and Sclerotium rolfsii pathogens. Fusant number 15 showed the highest inhibition percentage (92.8%) against M. phaseolina and P. ultimum, while fusant number 9 showed the highest inhibition percentage (98.2%) against the growth of S. rolfsii. A hyphal intertwining and degradation phenomenon was observed by scanning electron microscope. The Trichoderma antagonistic effect against pathogenic fungal mycelia was due to the

  13. Identification and characterization of an anaerobic ethanol-producing cellulolytic bacterial consortium from Great Basin hot springs with agricultural residues and energy crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Chao; Deng, Yunjin; Wang, Xingna; Li, Qiuzhe; Huang, Yifan; Liu, Bin

    2014-09-01

    In order to obtain the cellulolytic bacterial consortia, sediments from Great Basin hot springs (Nevada, USA) were sampled and enriched with cellulosic biomass as the sole carbon source. The bacterial composition of the resulting anaerobic ethanol-producing celluloytic bacterial consortium, named SV79, was analyzed. With methods of the full-length 16S rRNA librarybased analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 21 bacteria belonging to eight genera were detected from this consortium. Clones with closest relation to the genera Acetivibrio, Clostridium, Cellulosilyticum, Ruminococcus, and Sporomusa were predominant. The cellulase activities and ethanol productions of consortium SV79 using different agricultural residues (sugarcane bagasse and spent mushroom substrate) and energy crops (Spartina anglica, Miscanthus floridulus, and Pennisetum sinese Roxb) were studied. During cultivation, consortium SV79 produced the maximum filter paper activity (FPase, 9.41 U/ml), carboxymethylcellulase activity (CMCase, 6.35 U/ml), and xylanase activity (4.28 U/ml) with sugarcane bagasse, spent mushroom substrate, and S. anglica, respectively. The ethanol production using M. floridulus as substrate was up to 2.63 mM ethanol/g using gas chromatography analysis. It has high potential to be a new candidate for producing ethanol with cellulosic biomass under anoxic conditions in natural environments.

  14. Hydrolytic enzyme activities in shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) strains cultivated on coffee pulp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mata, Gerardo; Salmones, Dulce; Pérez-Merlo, Rosalía

    Hydrolytic enzyme production (cellulases, laminarinases and xylanases) was studied in cultures of Lentinula edodes on sterilized coffee pulp. Samples of substrate colonized by mycelia were taken after 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of incubation at 25°C (W1 to W5) and during the fruiting period at different stages: formation of primordia (PF), first harvest (H) and one week after the first harvest (PH). The enzymatic activity was lower during the early mycelial growth and showed higher levels during the formation and development of fruiting bodies. During the reproductive stage of the fungus, the samples were subjected to a soaking treatment; however, it was not possible to relate this soaking treatment to the increase in enzyme production. The levels of enzymatic activity suggest that secretion of the studied enzymes does not influence the adaptability of the strains to the substrate. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  15. Effect of water quality and confounding factors on digestive enzyme activities in Gammarus fossarum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charron, L; Geffard, O; Chaumot, A; Coulaud, R; Queau, H; Geffard, A; Dedourge-Geffard, O

    2013-12-01

    The feeding activity and subsequent assimilation of the products resulting from food digestion allow organisms to obtain energy for growth, maintenance and reproduction. Among these biological parameters, we studied digestive enzymes (amylase, cellulase and trypsin) in Gammarus fossarum to assess the impact of contaminants on their access to energy resources. However, to enable objective assessment of a toxic effect of decreased water quality on an organisms' digestive capacity, it is necessary to establish reference values based on its natural variability as a function of changing biotic and abiotic factors. To limit the confounding influence of biotic factors, a caging approach with calibrated male organisms from the same population was used. This study applied an in situ deployment at 23 sites of the Rhone basin rivers, complemented by a laboratory experiment assessing the influence of two abiotic factors (temperature and conductivity). The results showed a small effect of conductivity on cellulase activity and a significant effect of temperature on digestive enzyme activity but only at the lowest temperature (7 °C). The experimental conditions allowed us to define an environmental reference value for digestive enzyme activities to select sites where the quality of the water impacted the digestive capacity of the organisms. In addition to the feeding rate, this study showed the relevance of digestive enzymes as biomarkers to be used as an early warning tool to reflect organisms' health and the chemical quality of aquatic ecosystems.

  16. The fungal cultivar of leaf-cutter ants produces specific enzymes in response to different plant substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khadempour, Lily [Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53706 USA; Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53706 USA; Department of Energy Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53706 USA; Burnum-Johnson, Kristin E. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Baker, Erin S. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Nicora, Carrie D. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo M. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; White, Richard A. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Monroe, Matthew E. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Huang, Eric L. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Smith, Richard D. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Currie, Cameron R. [Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53706 USA; Department of Energy Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53706 USA

    2016-10-26

    Herbivores use symbiotic microbes to help gain access to energy and nutrients from plant material. Leaf-cutter ants are a paradigmatic example, having tremendous impact on their ecosystems as dominant generalist herbivores through cultivation of a fungus, Leucoagaricus gongylophorous. Here we examine how this mutualism could facilitate the flexible substrate incorporation of the ants by providing leaf-cutter ant subcolonies four substrate types: leaves, flowers, oats, and a mixture of all three. Through metaproteomic analysis of the fungus gardens, we were able to identify and quantify 1766 different fungal proteins, including 161 biomass-degrading enzymes. This analysis revealed that fungal protein profiles were significantly different between subcolonies fed different substrates with the highest abundance of cellulolytic enzymes observed in the leaf and flower treatments. When the fungus garden is provided with leaves and flowers, which contain the majority of their energy in recalcitrant material, it increases its production of proteins that break down cellulose: endoglucanases, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase. Further, the complete metaproteomes for the leaves and flowers treatments were very similar, the mixed treatment closely resembled the treatment with oats alone. This suggests that when provided a mixture of substrates, the fungus garden preferentially produces enzymes necessary for breakdown of simpler, more digestible substrates. This flexible, substrate-specific response of the fungal cultivar allows the leaf-cutter ants to derive energy from a wide range of substrates, which may contribute to their ability to be dominant generalist herbivores.

  17. Andrographolide powder treatment as antifeedant decreased digestive enzyme activity from Plutella xylostella (L.) larvae midgut

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madihah, Malini, Desak Made; Roviani, Hana; Rani, Nessa Vidya; Hermawan, Wawan

    2018-02-01

    Andrographolide, an active compound of Andrographis paniculata, has shown antifeedant activity against Plutella xylostella larvae by disrupting the midgut histological structures. This study aims to determine the activity of andrographolide in crystallized powder form against several digestive enzymes from the midgut of 4th instar P. xylostella larvae. The concentrations used were 0 (control), 1000, 1600, 2500, 4000 and 6500 ppm with four replications each. No-choice antifeedant test with leaf disc method is used in a bioassay for 24 hours. The midgut was dissected from 2nd until 6th segment of 4th instar larvae and was homogenized in iced-buffer solution. Furthermore, larvae's midgut samples were centrifuged at 10,000 rpm, 4°C for 20 min and the supernatant is used as enzyme source. The results showed that andrographolide significantly reduces the amylase, invertase, protease and trypsin activity, as well as total protein concentration compared with control (p<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. This study provides information about the mode of action of andrographolide in inhibiting feed activity by the reduced digestive enzyme activity of 4th instar P. xylostella larvae.

  18. Effect of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on fatty acid oxidation enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terada, Shin; Tabata, Izumi; Higuchi, Mitsuru

    2004-02-01

    We previously reported that high-intensity exercise training significantly increased citrate synthase (CS) activity, a marker of oxidative enzyme, in rat skeletal muscle to a level equaling that attained after low-intensity prolonged exercise training (Terada et al., J Appl Physiol 90: 2019-2024, 2001). Since mitochondrial oxidative enzymes and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) enzymes are often increased simultaneously, we assessed the effect of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on FAO enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (3 to 4 weeks old) were assigned to a 10-day period of high-intensity intermittent exercise training (HIT), low-intensity prolonged exercise training (LIT), or sedentary control conditions. In the HIT group, the rats repeated fourteen 20 s swimming sessions with a weight equivalent to 14-16% of their body weight. Between the exercise sessions, a 10 s pause was allowed. Rats in the LIT group swam 6 h/day in two 3 h sessions separated by 45 min of rest. CS activity in the triceps muscle of rats in the HIT and LIT groups was significantly higher than that in the control rats by 36 and 39%, respectively. Furthermore, 3-beta hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) activity, an important enzyme in the FAO pathway in skeletal muscle, was higher in the two training groups than in the control rats (HIT: 100%, LIT: 88%). No significant difference in HAD activity was observed between the two training groups. In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that high-intensity intermittent swimming training elevated FAO enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle to a level similar to that attained after 6 h of low-intensity prolonged swimming exercise training.

  19. [Effects of snow pack on soil nitrogen transformation enzyme activities in a subalpine Abies faxioniana forest of western Sichuan, China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Li; Xu, Zhen-Feng; Wu, Fu-Zhong; Yang, Wan-Qin; Yin, Rui; Li, Zhi-Ping; Gou, Xiao-Lin; Tang, Shi-Shan

    2014-05-01

    This study characterized the dynamics of the activities of urease, nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase in both soil organic layer and mineral soil layer under three depths of snow pack (deep snowpack, moderate snowpack and shallow snowpack) over the three critical periods (snow formed period, snow stable period, and snow melt period) in the subalpine Abies faxoniana forest of western Sichuan in the winter of 2012 and 2013. Throughout the winter, soil temperature under deep snowpack increased by 46.2% and 26.2%, respectively in comparison with moderate snowpack and shallow snowpack. In general, the three nitrogen-related soil enzyme activities under shallow snowpack were 0.8 to 3.9 times of those under deep snowpack during the winter. In the beginning and thawing periods of seasonal snow pack, shallow snowpack significantly increased the activities of urease, nitrate and nitrite reductase enzyme in both soil organic layer and mineral soil layer. Although the activities of the studied enzymes in soil organic layer and mineral soil layer were observed to be higher than those under deep- and moderate snowpacks in deep winter, no significant difference was found under the three snow packs. Meanwhile, the effects of snowpack on the activities of the measured enzymes were related with season, soil layer and enzyme type. Significant variations of the activities of nitrogen-related enzymes were found in three critical periods over the winter, and the three measured soil enzymes were significantly higher in organic layer than in mineral layer. In addition, the activities of the three measured soil enzymes were closely related with temperature and moisture in soils. In conclusion, the decrease of snow pack induced by winter warming might increase the activities of soil enzymes related with nitrogen transformation and further stimulate the process of wintertime nitrogen transformation in soils of the subalpine forest.

  20. Changes in Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Biomass after Revegetation in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingshui Ren

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Soil enzymes and microbes are central to the decomposition of plant and microbial detritus, and play important roles in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus biogeochemistry cycling at the ecosystem level. In the present study, we characterized the soil enzyme activity and microbial biomass in revegetated (with Taxodium distichum (L. Rich. and Cynodon dactylon (L. Pers. versus unplanted soil in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir (TGDR, in order to quantify the effect of revegetation on the edaphic microenvironment after water flooding in situ. After revegetation, the soil physical and chemical properties in revegetated soil showed significant differences to those in unplanted soil. The microbial biomass carbon and phosphorus in soils of T. distichum were significantly higher than those in C. dactylon and unplanted soils, respectively. The microbial biomass nitrogen in revegetated T. distichum and C. dactylon soils was significantly increased by 273% and 203%, respectively. The enzyme activities of T. distichum and C. dactylon soils displayed no significant difference between each other, but exhibited a great increase compared to those of the unplanted soil. Elements ratio (except C/N (S did not vary significantly between T. distichum and C. dactylon soils; meanwhile, a strong community-level elemental homeostasis in the revegetated soils was found. The correlation analyses demonstrated that only microbial biomass carbon and phosphorus had a significantly positive relationship with soil enzyme activities. After revegetation, both soil enzyme activities and microbial biomasses were relatively stable in the T. distichum and C. dactylon soils, with the wooded soil being more superior. The higher enzyme activities and microbial biomasses demonstrate the C, N, and P cycling and the maintenance of soil quality in the riparian zone of the TGDR.